Kandy

I made it to Ella, Sri Lanka. Yesterday was pretty much a travel day as I spent about 7 hours on a train. But fortunately it went by relatively quick since the ride was so beautiful as the train slowly went through the hill country. I feel like I saw where the entire world's tea supply comes from. When I arrived at the train station, the owner of the hotel I was staying at met me and had my name on a piece of paper and all. Which was a nice surprise as I messaged her earlier to avoid any google maps issues. It was really great of her and appreciate it, especially as I'm sure I would have missed the stairs that may or may not be considered a road. It was a little bit of a hike up with my backpacks. It's a nice place to stay so far. 

Train travel.

Which takes me back to Kandy. I had opted to sleep in a capsule in the hotel I was staying in. It came up as an option and the reviews were pretty decent. And I figured 'why not'. That's my saying for this trip whenever people ask me to do things. I mean, within reason of course. I didn't have much space to put my bag, but I made do. And I was the only one up there on the roof, so I took over to some degree with hanging up all my wet things.

On Monday, I flew from Amman, Jordan to Colombo, Sri Lanka, with a layover in Muscat, Oman. I'm obviously not including countries where I only see the airport on my list, but I am keeping track of those airports for fun. It was overnight travel, but nice since I caught a couple of movies, Insurgent and Pitch Perfect 2. I'm not watching TV on this trip so much, which is what I want. But every once in a while, it's nice to catch some American cinema.

I took the bus from the Colombo airport to downtown Colombo. I only got a glimpse of the city as I made my way to the train station. I'm flying out of Colombo when I head to India, so I'll be back to check it out. The train ride to Kandy was pleasant. Also very nice views. And I chatted with a Sri Lankan girl for a bit. Her nephews were very cute and smiley. But it started raining halfway through the ride. This I was not happy about. I had hoped it would stop before we arrived in Kandy, but no such luck. And unfortunately it rained every day I was there. Well maybe not yesterday as it looked like it was going to be a great day when I left. I know it's not rainy season (I looked it up), and I hope it lets up soon. It was a bit drizzly and foggy in Ella when I arrived. Although today may be better. 

Because of the rain, my time in Kandy probably wasn't as best utilized as it could have been. However, it did force me to do a few things like get sorted out for upcoming portions of my trip. The first day was probably the most productive in the sightseeing department. I explore the Sri Dalada Maligawa, or Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. I walked around the grounds for a bit and took it all in. 

Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.

After I had my fill of the temple, I went for a walk around Kandy Lake. And that was slightly eventful as there were so many animals. Kandy is the 2nd largest city Sri Lanka (which is still quite small), but it was still strange to see all these animals. There were birds, bats, lizards, fish, monkeys and who knows what else. As I was looking at the lizards, I made conversation with a French couple. They were very nice and we actually got lunch together. We shared a few dishes so we were able to try multiple traditional dishes. I ordered the Chicken Kottu, which was so good that I got it again a couple of nights later.

City animals.

On a full stomach, I hiked up to the Big Buddha, who you can see everywhere in town it seems like. I got a pretty great view of the town and lake below. I was ready to relax after that. I made a pit stop at the grocery store to grab a few items, including peanut butter. However I couldn't find any. Maybe they don't have peanut butter in Sri Lanka? I thought as much since the multiple people I asked had no idea what I was talking about. However, I went to another grocery store the following day and found it. So now I have Nutella and peanut butter to consume for my long runs.

The Big Buddha.

I was too wiped out from traveling to run on Tuesday, and then Wednesday, I just couldn't get up. The time difference from Jordan was 2.5 hours, which isn't major, but still enough for me to want to keep sleeping. On Thursday I got my butt up and ran 6+ miles around the lake and out of the city a bit. It was a very pleasant experience as I did get a lot of smiles, especially from the women. There were a few disbelieving looks a well, but overall a good vibe from most people. I also went running the morning I left Kandy and saw a guy who looked pretty legit, like he should have been in NYC running the marathon. And I saw another woman doing laps around the lake. We smiled at each other in solidarity.

I didn't really do too much else because of the rain. I went into Udawatta Kele Sanctuary for a little bit to hike around, but it started pouring not too far into it. After getting another view of the city, I had to abandon the hike and run out of the forest. I was probably a sight for those 2 guys that decided it was a good idea to hike in the rain and hang out with the leeches. I for one was out of there. Which was a shame since I paid the entrance fee, and didn't get to see everything. Maybe it was for the best.

Escaping the leeches.

I will remember Kandy for the rain, the tuks tuks fighting for traffic, and the nice people. Oh and the delicious food. But there's more of that to come.

Petra and Amman

I have reached Kandy, Sri Lanka in case you are all keeping tabs on me. Which I assume you are. I left Jordan yesterday afternoon and after almost 24 hours of traveling by taxi, plane, bus, and train I reached my next destination. I'm excited to see what Sri Lanka has to offer. I have a tentative itinerary planned. 

Before that, we need to go back to Jordan. After Wadi Rum, I spent a couple of nights in the village of Wadi Musa in order to have a base to explore Petra, which became very popular because of Indiana Jones, and because it's amazing. 

There was a group of us leaving Wadi Rum and a few were staying in the same hotel as me. Which actually worked out, since I ended up having people to hang out with over the next couple of days. One thing that I was missing out by doing Airbnb. 

After dropping my bag, I walked down the hill to the entrance of Petra. The ticket price was actually pretty pricey (50 JD), but since I decided to take 2 days to explore, the extra day was only an extra 5 JD. I was definitely going to get my money's worth.

I took my time, but of course was hassled by all the adults trying to get you to take donkey, horse, and camel rides and the kids trying to sell postcards, bracelets, and other knick-knacks. After the 20th person trying to sell me something, it was definitely getting ufrustrating. I had heard it was pretty bad. And it was. It's unfortunate though, since at some points I just wanted to get away so I rushed through a few spots. One more reason getting the 2-day pass worked out.

Other than that, which just became a running joke, I had a great time hiking around and exploring. One of the groups of people from my bus,  were some students from Peru who were studying abroad at various locations, including NYU Abu Dhabi. We started chatting since we were all on the bus from Wadi Rum. I walked through the Siq, saw the Treasury, and hiked the 800 stairs (apparently) up to the Monastery. Of course that was named the 'best view'. And it was pretty great. We then met up with 2 guys from the bus, a Frenchman and a Dutchman (there should be a joke somewhere in there). They were staying where I was, so we headed back together. I felt like I got less attention since I was with 2 guys instead of by myself. So that was a nice break.

The Treasury.

The following morning, I went for a short run around Wadi Musa. And it was hilly. Surprise, surprise. However, I'm ok with the hills. But I'm not ok with the honks and catcalls. When I felt like I should, I would say something in response, even though I was probably just wasting my energy. I understand that it's a rarity to see anyone running, let alone a woman. It's just too bad men think they can just act inappropriate. Of course they don't even know they are being inappropriate. I try to let it slide. But it's hard after a while. 

After getting a few miles in, I headed back to Petra. It was actually a bit quieter, and I think it was because of Shabbat and there just weren't as many day trippers. I hiked up to the Obelisks and ran into the Frenchman and the Dutchman. We stuck together for the rest of the day. It worked out perfectly as I had company, and they were up to doing everything I was. So we continued to hike up and down mountains to get competing views, one of the Treasury from high above. We actually chose to hang out there for a while and may have taken a nap. All those stairs made us tired. We then met a couple from Germany and The Netherlands (who met in college in the US), who we ended up hiking through this canyon with. It was a little off the beaten trail and definitely involved some rock climbing and the sort. We made it through and called it a day. We grabbed a few folks from the hotel and rewarded ourselves with a beer at the only place that sold alcohol in town. It was called Petra Beer and came in a wide range of alcohol percent, up to 13%! We stuck with the 8% beers. And since it costs 6 JD (about $8.50), we only had one.

Super View.

It was time to head to Amman. Since I had decided to stay an extra night in the desert, I only had one night in Amman before my flight to Sri Lanka. I was ok with it, but another day still could have been nice. 

I hitched a ride with one of the workers at the hotel since he was picking a group of people for a tour. It worked out since I arrived earlier than I thought I would. Although it still took a while due to the rain. I had put off my long run and had to do it Monday morning. A part of me regrets waiting. That was one of the most frustrating runs ever. I had done some research so I knew what to expect. But it didn't help. It's not a runner-friendly city for sure. After dodging cars, trying to avoid the high curbs and going up hills, I made it to a nice trail in the middle of the city (which took me a while to find) to get some peace. But it was such a short trail (a little over a mile), it was going to be tough to do many miles on it. I ended up cutting my run short by 2 miles. I was so over it. I also needed to get back to get my hotel room to pack up. And since I got slammed with rain right at the end, I was happy to be done. I hope next week's long run will be better. 

After getting showered and dry, I wandered around a bit. I didn't have much time, but walked up Rainbow Road, checked out the market, and the Citadel. And got what will probably be my last falafel and hummus for a while. Time for some different food. 

Umbrellas.

Besides some of the unwanted attention, most Jordanians I encountered were really nice. Even in the bigger city of Amman. People were giving me things. They were small items that I would have happily paid for. So I got a couple of postcards, some Dead Sea soap (I hope it's legit), and a free beer. 

I think one of the few things that was cool about visiting Jordan, was the range of visitors. People came from all over including Peru, Germany, England, France, The Netherlands, Italy, Romania, Hungary, China, Taiwan, Australia, and of course the US. I know many people thought it wouldn't be safe due to it's proximity to Syria, but it was totally fine and I didn't encounter any issues. 

There's still lot to see in this small country (as my cab driver was telling me), so a future trip may be warranted. 

Now time to explore a different part of the world. 

Wadi Rum

I made it to Jordan, the 3rd country, on my list. After spending a day at the beach in Eilat at the Red Sea, it was time to move on. And since it reached 104 degrees, being right next to the sea for a day was definitely needed. 

I had some recommendations on what do do in Jordan and obviously Petra was at the top of the list. Others had also recommended Wadi Rum. So I figured why not. From Eilat, I took a bus close to the border, walked through passport control, dealt with the taxi mafia on the other side, and arrived in Aqaba. From here I took a minibus to Rum Village. I had a very entertaining ride as these 2 Jordanian girls nonstop chatted with me on the hour long ride. Too bad most of it was in Arabic so I didn't have a clue what they were saying most of the time. But we were helping each other out in the language department. I helped reinforce some of their English and I learned a bit of Arabic. We did work on counting to 10 in English and their mom taught me a few basics phrases in Arabic. There were some other women on the bus who asked if I spoke Arabic as well since I'm sure they wanted to talk. It's too bad since they also talked the entire hour ride to Rum Village. 

Once I arrived, and after making sure I was with the right camping/guide company, I got a cup of tea, played soccer with a few local boys, and finally hopped into the jeep to head out to the campsite. We did make a couple of detours (checked on the camels and saw the Chicken Rock), and the guide let me drive for a bit. I haven't driven a stick shift in several years, but I'm happy to say that I was able to drive through the desert without stalling. Go me. The desert is known for their sunrises and sunsets, and we arrived just about sunset, but it wasn't promising. Too much cloud cover. Instead my camp mates and I sat around the fire, played some sort of guitar instrument, smoked some hookah (unsuccessfully for me), and drank tea. We then headed to the living room hut and proceeded to eat a ton of food that the hosts had prepared. On full stomachs, we chit chatted a bit more under the moon.

Attempting some local music.

I mentioned I was camping. Yes, there was a tent. But they are a bit more rearmament and actually had a bed and electricity. And way more sturdy than a tent, especially as it proceeded to thunderstorm that first night. It was kind of fun, but the thunder felt like it was right above me and woke me up several times. The following morning, I woke up to hopefully see the sunrise, but the clouds were in the way, again. Fortunately, after some more thunder and lightening, the weather proceeded to get better. Good thing since I was going on camel ride. I spent about 5 hours wandering around the desert checking out the various sights of Wadi Rum with my own personal tour guide. Only the best when you travel solo.

Riding Foo Foo.

I saw some springs, went into a canyon, ran part of the way up a sand dune (and walked the rest of the way), ran all the way down the sand dune, climbed up some rocks, and just took in all the beautiful ('jamil' in Arabic) scenery. The camel ride was pretty cool. Getting up and down was an experience in itself since it has to do this dip thing in order for me to get off.

We ended at the village, where I proceeded to go to a Jordanian, Arabic, and Bedouin wedding that I had gotten invited to. Of course I'm not traveling with wedding apparel, let alone apparel that would be appropriate. However, I made do with what I had (pants, dress, and scarf). There was a range of outfits among the women, from traditional Arabic clothing, to nice dresses, and jeans and tank-tops. The wedding was a 2-day event and separated by gender. Fortunately I was in the more fun tent as we got to dance. Apparently the men just sit around, drink coffee and tea, and chat. We also chatted, but we got to dance, so that already made it better. I made friends with a French girl who is volunteering in the village for a few months. The younger girls latched onto us and proceeded to teach us some of the dancing and kept providing tea for us. It was a long afternoon and evening though. And to think there was another day for celebration. I didn't meet the bride though. I don't think she comes until the 2nd day. After dinner, I made my way back to the campsite and met all the new people staying that night. The sky was much clearer so we played music and had more tea under the moon and stars around the fire.

Lawrence's Springs.

Since I wanted a down day to relax a bit more at the campsite, I actually decided to stay another night. After the sunrise, I went into the village to get wifi and connect with the girl I was staying in Petra. Well she didn't react in the best way and I decided to cancel my reservation with her. So I made new accommodations, and hiked a bit near the village. Afterwards, I headed back and relaxed at the campsite for a bit and watched the sunset. I also did a photoshoot with a Chinese girl staying overnight with her mom. I decided to spend the night under the stars. Which was pretty cool. No animals were lurking around. I only saw one fox and some lizards in mountains so far at that point. The moon was very bright, but it was nice as it reminded me when were kids and would camp out on the deck in the summer time.

Camping under the stars. 

Before moving on to Petra, I had one last sunrise. I drove with the owner of the campsite to a different location where we climbed a rock barefoot. He may have also proposed to me, which I managed to brush off. I think he was kidding, but a part of me wasn't entirely sure. But the sunset was really nice. 

I rode a camel, went to a wedding, may or may not have been proposed to and spent the night under the stars. All in all, a pretty nice time in the desert. 

Jerusalem

I have left Jerusalem and arrived in Eilat. Jerusalem was pretty amazing. I didn't intentionally save it for this late in the trip (it just made sense geographically), but I'm glad I did. 

I do want to quickly address all the news though. I'm not sure what people have and have not heard. There have been a few attacks in the city, which is very unfortunate. I spoke to a few people leading up to my visit and the sentiment was pretty consistent. Go, but be safe. So that's what I did. I'm obviously not going to intentionally get in the way of any violence, and it is a large city. But you never know. My first night I was walking down Jaffa Road and heard a bunch of sirens. After living in NYC for over 10 years, at first it didn't register. Then I realized I wasn't in NYC and there seemed to be a lot of police cars going by. There was another incident at the Central Bus Station. Fortunately I don't think anything else happened since then. I saw a pretty high presence of armed police around the city regardless. I'm pretty sure it's more than normal, but of course I have no comparison. On the flip side, I also saw a lot of young Jewish people trying to bring some joy to the city. They have just been around trying to have a good time, play music, and be together. Which is nice to see. They were doing this so not everyone is afraid to be outside. 

Ok, so now to the fun stuff. One of the first things I did was go to the Mahane Yahuda Market (or Shuk) and buy wine, snacks, baklava and I'm sure there was something else. I also got a mini lesson on how havlah, a dessert) is prepared. The guy took me behind the display tables and assured me it was ok. So we broke apart a partial havlah, and then placed crumbs into a new container, and pounded away. And then we had a new one to put out. I only tried the samples, and I think it may be an acquired taste for sure. I still prefer ice cream. 

Havlah preparation.

I spent the following morning going through Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum. It was pretty intense, but I do recommend visiting it if you find yourself in Jerusalem. I actually haven't been to any other holocaust museum, so I'm not sure what it's like compared to others, but I thought it was pretty in depth and powerful. There were also a lot of nice memorials on the grounds, so I took my time exploring outside too. 

After that I headed to the Old City. I wandered around the different quarters, and saw different religious buildings for Christians, Jews, and Muslims, and of course visited the Western Wall. It's actually very fascinating that they are all in such close proximity. There's a reason they say Jerusalem is the holiest city. I even had a couple who wanted to pray for me on a rooftop observation point. They were from the US and on their honeymoon. I decided to go along with it. So there I was on a rooftop with the Western Wall and all the spires and domes in sight, and having a prayer spoken for safe travels. When in Rome. 

The Western Wall.

After a good but intense day, I had some Israeli rose at the King David Hotel, a pretty historical building. I sat on the terrace and enjoyed the nice weather and my book. I had to make it an early night though since I was meeting a group at 4am for a day trip out of the city. 

It was time to hike Masada, see Ein Gedi, and go into the Dead Sea. I thought about taking public buses, but it seemed a bit complicated and I didn't want to chance any absent buses making me miss something. I also looked into renting a car, but that was a little out of my price range, and also a bit complicated to deal with. So I decided to go with a reasonably priced private bus tour. And it actually worked out very well. It was a small group, so I actually got to meet a bunch of new people, and getting around was pretty easy. Although it was a bit longer of a tour, I wouldn't have complained. 

Our first stop was Masada, an ancient fortification on a plateau. Like I mentioned, we met at 4am and the reason why, is so we can hike up it in order to see the sunrise over Jordan and the Dead Sea. Which was pretty spectacular. After the sun came up, I explored the ruins of the palaces that used to be there. I also met a really nice family from the Toronto area. The daughters are close in age to me and who knows, I may see one of them in Peru next year. 

Masada.

Our next stop was Ein Gedi, an oasis in the middle of the desert. The falls were very pretty and I splashed around in one of them,  and then hiked around a bit with a Belgium guy who also runs marathons. I wish we had another hour there though. It went by too fast and I definitely could have hiked or go in one of the other waterfalls. 

Ein Gedi.

Our last stop was the Dead Sea, which was pretty great. We were 400 meters below Sea Level. We actually went below Sea Level shortly after we left Jerusalem. So not only that, but the Dead Sea is so filled with salt, that you are completely buoyant. It's the opposite of treading water. So strange feeling. After floating around a while, a girl from California and I gave ourselves a complete body mud mask. We eventually washed ourselves off and our skin felt great. And since we were at the beach and it was hot, we had to get a beer at one of the beach huts. Again, this was a little too short, but we still got to enjoy ourselves.

Floating in the Dead Sea.

We made it back to the city and of course it was Friday and Sabbath was starting at sundown. But businesses close down even earlier. So I made sure to get whatever food and drink I needed since I most likely wouldn't be able to find much open later in the day and on Saturday.

Typically Saturday (Sabbath) is a day of rest. So I tried to emulate the Jews and also rest. As much as I can of course. So I ran 13 miles on this amazing converted train track path. And then rehydrated with brunch, and then napped. And then continued to rehydrate with some late afternoon wine. See I rested. Fortunately there were a few establishments open to cater to visitors and non-Jews. It was actually kind of nice since the city was so quiet. And on my run, there was barely any cars out, which was very peaceful. Things started to open back up after sundown and I decided to try dinner at the Shuk. During the day (except Sabbath), the market is bustling with all the various stalls. Mixed throughout, there are a few restaurants. And in the evening, all the stalls close, but the restaurants stay open, which makes for a different atmosphere all together. It was kind of cool. And I ran into one of the guys from the day trip, another Canadian, who gave me the lowdown on how to spot regular Orthodox and ultra Orthodox Jews. I learned a lot. 

Before heading out of Jerusalem, I did one last run in Gacher Park and had some shakshuka at a cute cafe/bookstore. I'm now in Eilat. This wasn't on my list to be honest, but I figured a day at the beach would be good (this time the Red Sea) and I have next week pretty much planned out for Jordan (which I'm getting pretty excited about). 

One month in

It's been one month since I've left. Which is pretty crazy. It feels like I just left, but at the same time it feels like it was a while ago. Do I miss NYC and everyone I left behind? Of course. A part of me wishes I was experiencing fall in New York (really anywhere in the state would be great). And I wish some of you folks were with me seeing what I'm seeing. But I'm really glad I made this leap and doing what I've been thinking about for years.

I want to do a reflection on the last 4 weeks. Overall, things have been going very well. I've made it to 2 countries on my list: Turkey and Israel. Jordan is right around the corner, and my flight to Sri Lanka is booked. I feel like I've been making good progress, but not rushing.  I have spent more time in Turkey and Israel than I would have otherwise. At the beginning it felt like a vacation (and still does a little), and I wanted to make sure I see and do what I can. Now, I'm definitely not trying to exhaust myself seeing everything. I know that's not possible and why not leave things for another trip. You never know. That is one reason I've been mixing it up in cities and smaller towns. I love cities. Walking around and seeing the people and the sights. But it's a nice break to relax a bit in the smaller towns.

I'm feeling pretty good about the upcoming weeks and months. I'll figure out what to do in Sri Lanka and then head to India. I think I'm going to try to see both the Southern and Northern part of the country. I should be there to celebrate Diwali, which should be pretty cool. From there, I'm not sure yet. I have some friends meeting me in Southeast Asia, where we are probably hitting up Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. From there, I just need to be in Thailand by December 20th. I imagine, I'll be seeing a lot of Southeast Asia, which I'm pretty happy about. From there, I'll keep you posted. 

Since I've left, I have met so many great people. And yes, people are a little surprised I'm on my own. But generally speaking, people think it's great. There was a Turkish airport security guard that was a bit nervous for me. But he's been the exception. I've met people from Colombia, Argentina, Canada, Germany, England, Belgium, China, Korea, and of course the US, and so many from NYC. And such a range of people, ages, religions, and backgrounds. I enjoy doing things on my own, I mean I am on this trip by myself. But talking to people is also something I enjoy doing, so I appreciate the conversations.

I have mostly stayed in Airbnb apartments. I've been booking them a bit last minute and since it's off season everywhere, it's been fine so far. But I'm going to make a conscious effort to do a bit sooner than the day before. For example, getting a place to stay in Jerusalem was a bit more difficult and I had to pay a bit more than I wanted. And to be honest, it isn't ideal, but works for a few days. Some of the places I've stayed in have been great and I've had such good hosts, and others are just a place to stay. Nothing too exciting or alarming has happened thus far. I've been reading reviews and getting single rooms wherever I go. A guy posts a room and he has no reviews. I'll pass that one up. 

Since I started this adventure, I think I did ok in the packing department. I had done a lot of research on what I should bring, bought a 63 liter backpack, and went about making sure I could fit everything. Of course my brother freaked me out right before I left, but his backpack and mine really weren't that much different in size. In the weeks leading up to my departure, I started multiple piles of items and this is pretty much what I have been lugging around. 

• Clothes: tank tops (3), t-shirts (3), shorts (4), pants (2), pair of jeans (1), long sleeve (2), dress (1) underwear (10), bras (2), swimsuit (1)
• Running clothes: shorts (5), tank tops (4), t-shirt (1), long sleeve (1), sports bras (6), socks (7)
• Running accessories: hair ties, sparkly soul headbands, 1 spi belt, 1 Nathan's belt, ID bracelet, massage stick
• Accessories: watch, jewelry, scarf, Yankees hat, fitbit, USA bandanna
• Electronics: camera, tablet, kindle, phone, Garmin, ipod, necessary chargers and cords
• Toiletries: all the standard stuff, including 2 bottles of nail polish (I can provide a full list if requested)
• Rain jacket and light jacket, hat and gloves 
• Shoes: running sneakers, Toms, flip flops
• Electronics: tablet and keyboard, phone, DSLR camera, kindle, Garmin, ipod, all necessary chargers and adaptors
• Medicine: first aid kit, ibuprofen, neosporin, antihistamine medicine, malaria tablets, diarrhea medication, insect repellent spray and lotion, plus various other items (again, I can provide a full list if requested)
• Books: running journal, regular journal, and small notebook
• Miscellaneous: laundry bag, soap and detergent packets, bungee cord, headlamp, door stopper, sink stopper, locks, all-in-one utensil, collapsible bowl, headlamp, zip lock bags, garbage bags, 
• Bed sheet and quick drying towels
• Food: some snacks, some running food, and Nuun, oh and a little thing of vodka that my sister gave me
• Essentials: passport, yellow fever card, credit cards, ID, cash

I'm sure I'm missing things, but you get the idea. All this fit in my big backpack, smaller backpack, and over the shoulder purse. So far so good. There may be a few things I would have done a little differently now, but nothing crazy. I've also gotten pretty good about packing for each departure. I have bought a few things, but nothing major (a cheap fedora hat and a wine opener). But I am on the lookout for a new dress or skirt. One of these markets I go to is bound to have something that I'm willing to purchase.

On my way to JFK September 16th.

Lastly, I've been doing a reasonably good job of documenting my trip. If you follow me on Instagram, you see the 1-2 (sorry sometimes 4!) daily photos, or my albums on Facebook, and of course this blog. I'm also trying to keep some sort of journal, most of which is in my blog, but also has mementos of various places. The other thing I'm doing is keeping track of various statistics. If you know me I do love my numbers. So I've been keeping track of various things, like countries and cities visiting, miles run, steps taken, bed slept in, etc. Maybe I'll do a 3-month analysis. We'll see.

Well I'm off to finish my Golan Heights glass of red wine and plan for my long run for tomorrow morning around Jerusalem. 

Safed

I've spent the last few days in Safed and exploring a little bit of the Golan Heights. I wasn't completely aware, but Safed is a pretty religious town. Since it's known for all the artists, you don't really put the two together. I thought I was in Brooklyn at first. You know the non-hipster part of the borough. The apartment I stayed in actually had a group of religious guys staying in the other room for one night. But I didn't interact with them much. And I have no idea what they thought of me. I'm not Jewish, let alone religious. 

I explored the town of Safed on Sunday. After my 20-miler on Saturday, my legs were a bit tired, so I was moving slowly up and down all the stairs. I don't know if I just keep picking hilly towns, or if everywhere is hilly except for NYC. Since it's off-season, the town is a bit quiet, but I've been chatting up with a bunch of people regardless. I met a woman from Baltimore who moved to Safed when she was a teenager and who's husband does Kabbalah artwork. I even got a mini lesson on Kabbalah. Of course all I could think of was Madonna. I had the good graces to not mention her. I met another couple from Long Island (who now live in Florida) who were very enthusiastic about my travels and were on their own tour of Israel. And lastly I met a couple of younger girls from Brooklyn who are studying the Torah for a year. All very interesting and different people. But all very nice

The art galleries were all very nice. I would love to have bought something. I'll just have to come back. I loved all the side streets and alleyways. I didn't mind getting lost at all. At one point, I was even able to point a couple in the right direction. Usually when someone starts speaking to me, I have a feeling a blank stare comes onto my face. But then they figure out I speak English (once I actually start speaking), and we go from there. This time I was helping, instead of the other way around. 

Simtat Hamashiach Alleyway.

I also tried some pretty good kosher wine at the Ancient Safed Winery and the Abouhav Winery. I don't care if it's kosher or not, but I was assured it was Kosher certified. I just have to look for the stamp of approval. I also found cheese and got way more than I needed at the Kodash cheese shop. The cheese maker (7th generation) wanted me to stay and sit for a while. I figured, I wasn't in a rush, so had some Ancient Safed Winery and asked questions when he wasn't busy doing something or taking care of customers. 

Kodash cheese.

I did take a day trip to Banias Nature Preserve. I thought about renting a car, but since I'm a bit budget-conscious, I figured the buses will work just fine. So after 2 bus rides, I made it to Banias relatively easy. The hike from the springs, along the stream, to the falls was estimated at 90 minutes. I should have known that was a generous amount of time. I think I did it in about 60 minutes. I didn't run it if that's what you are all thinking. Although, I think it would be a good trail to run. I stopped for photos, to take in the shade near the water, and I had a couple of snack breaks. This girl gets hungry. Again, since its off-season, it was almost like I had it all to myself. Which was nice. But it was still so hot out. I keep forgetting that it's October. And I had to keep reading the "No swimming allowed" signs. I thought about going in, but decided I should respect the park in the way it deserved. The falls were really nice once I made it there. I welcomed the breeze and took it all in. All in all it was a pretty good day. Well with the exception of getting back to Safed. From the preserve, a nice Israeli couple gave me a ride to the bus stop, which was very helpful. Their daughter is currently traveling in South Korea, so they are hoping people are doing the same for her. Which I believe they are. So then I waited for the bus. Which never came. Over an hour later and that same couple drove by again. They picked me up and took me to the town where I needed to catch my connection to Safed. I was very grateful that they came along. You know and they weren't crazy. One thing I realized was how close I was to the Lebanon and Syria border. It's kind of crazy that I could have seen the countries (I'm pretty sure I didn't). The couple actually asked if I was going to Syria. I laughed and said "no way". I'm interested in seeing the world, but from somewhat of a safer distance. 

Banias Falls.

My time in Safed was pretty relaxing. A lot of very friendly people who all loved that I was from New York. Although one guy thought I was from China. That's a first. Oh and so many kids. They were everywhere, going to school or playing into the evening. I did get a few looks from them, especially when running, but it's nice to see them around. 

Next stop: Jerusalem.

Haifa

I'm a little late on publishing this post. I meant to do this 2 days ago, but I couldn't quite finish it on the bus ride to Safed that was curving around the mountain roads. After standing around in the dark looking for my accommodations, I finally found where I was staying. And of course arrived right before the Sabbath ceremony, which I believe is Havdalah. To my credit, it was long after sundown. I participated as much as I could. As in, I imitated the 2 kids in what they did. I then had to find food. 

Then yesterday, the power went out. This is becoming a pattern. I lost power in Bodrum, Turkey also. Although I'm not entirely sure why, as the weather was perfect yesterday. Oh well, very limited communication was the result. Although I was tracking Chicago marathoners as best as I could. Congrats to all!

I'm currently waiting on the bus that will take me to Banias Nature Reserve. I'll let you know how that goes later on. I hear very good things. Funny story really quick. As I was loading the bus in Safed to take me to Kiryat (where I am now), I was handed a baby. Well not immediately. This woman either asked me to hold the baby or help put the stroller away. At least that's what I gathered. I must look like a trustworthy person, so she handed me the baby. The baby was very easy going as I paid my fare and waited for her mom to board. You don't always have to speak the same language to understand what someone else may need. And it helped the baby didn't start screaming. 

Back to the purpose of this post. How was the second leg of my Israel trip? After Tel Aviv, I headed to Haifa, the 3rd largest city in Israel. Most come to check out the Baha'i Shrine and Gardens, the main focus in the city as you can see from the photo below. And it's quite beautiful. So beautiful that I technically visited it on multiple days. The first day, I hiked all the way to the top and went in at the top terrace to take in the view. And it was amazing. I then went again 2 days later to visit the shrine, which was only open until noon. And then again on my last day, to take the actual tour of the upper terraces and learn a bit about the Baha'i religion. They believe in equality of women and men, which is very positive. But then we almost got into a debate as someone from San Francisco asked about equality in marriage. I'm not sure if the tour guide quite understood. Although I didn't see anything in my reading that talked about marriage. So who knows. 

Baha'i Gardens from the top.

During my stay in Haifa, I also visited a few wineries south of the city. I didn't have quite the success rate I was hoping and I was frustrated at a few points. The first place I visited, didn't offer any tastings. Which was very strange as the place was huge and was clearly open. However, no tastings. What winery doesn't offer tastings? Ones that are closed, that's what. Anyway, my next stop at Tishbi Estate Winery totally made up for it. I spent a good hour getting a wine and chocolate pairing. The host was very nice and knowledgeable. And I made friends with an English couple (who were in the 80s and traveling!) and their daughter who lives in Israel. I'm loving all the random people I've been meeting. I want to remember them as much as possible, so will be doing my best to write about them. I think the gentleman may have been getting a bit tipsy. Although I also may have been. They were very nice and dropped me off at my next destination, Carmel Winery. This was a quick visit, but I got a chance to taste different 4 wines and chat with the Scottish woman working there.  I had 2 more stops to go, but unfortunately had no luck. One was closed and the other one was deserted. I didn't think it was right to help myself, so I left. However, the town of Zichron Ya'akov was super cute. I took advantage and walked around a bit, took some photos, and got lunch before I headed back to Haifa.

Tishbi Estate Winery.

On Friday, I made a quick visit to Acre, the city on the other side of Haifa bay. It was quick due to the Sabbath. I wasn't paying attention to the train schedule and apparently the last train left an hour after I arrived, which was 2:30 in the afternoon. I thought I had hours until sundown. I knew things started to shut down, but figured I'd have at least until like 4:30pm. So I quickly walked to the old city to at least see it and figure out if there are any buses later in the day back to Haifa. I spoke to someone who said there were and I decided to trust them. So I spent a couple of hours wandering around the old city, which had a little Turkish thrown in there to take me back to a couple of weeks ago. I even saw a few kids jump off the city walls into the sea below. I almost expected to see my brothers doing the same. It was cool to see the place that Napoleon couldn't conquer.

The town of Acre.

It was nice spending time in Haifa, but was looking forward to my next destination. My airbnb hosts were one of the best, so far. They were very welcoming and provided so much information about the city and the surrounding area. I even watched a little American television with them and caught the latest episode of Big Bang Theory. I'm glad they thought all the funny parts were funny too.

Tel Aviv

I made it to Israel, my 2nd country! It took some time though unfortunately. I had a very long layover in Istanbul and then my flight was delayed. So I wasn't a happy camper when I finally made it through customs and grabbed my bag. Due to the late hour, I splurged on a cab ride to the apartment I stayed in. I eventually went to bed so I could get myself up to do my long run. Which actually ended up being very nice. I had 18-19 miles planned, and the miles went by relatively quickly. I ran on the promenade along the Mediterranean and made my way to HaYarkon Park. The city is very accommodating to athletes. And I saw so many people out taking advantage; runners, walkers, bikers, swimmers, surfers, paddle boarders, tennis players, soccer players, skateboarders, fisherman (if you count this as a sport) were all out. The list was endless. And I loved it. In Turkey I felt like I was the only one that exercised. And it was nice to share that with the people of Tel Aviv. Of course, it's pretty warm here. So the end of my run wasn't going too well. I was fantasizing about jumping into the sea. So I did. Once I hit 18.6 miles (at least one mile more than last week) I took off my running sneakers and tank top, and jumped in. And it was amazing.

After that, I just wanted to sit somewhere, eat something, and drink something. So I did. I found a recommended cafe and got a sandwich and some sangria. Since it was Sukkot, there were happy hour specials. And even though I'm not Jewish, I will celebrate if there are reductions on alcohol. Although, I actually have celebrated Sukkot once before and helped build a Sukkah. Let's just say I'm a good non-Jewish friend and I earned that happy hour special. 

Chag Sameach.

Afterward I explored the neighborhood of Neve Tzedek and made my way to Old Jaffa. Neve Tzedek is very pretty, but even more so with all the graffiti sprinkled in around the area. Nice juxtapositions. Yeah, I'm throwing out a fancy word. One of things I forget that this is a town on the Meditation. I see a lot of similarities with Spain (really the only other place I've spent quite a bit on the Mediterranean). Especially with all the beaches. After I took in these beautiful places, I grabbed an Israeli beer (Goldstar) and watched the sunset on the beach. All very nice and relaxing. Definitely a lot of beach vibes going on. 

Neve Tzedek.

Obviously, I spent the next day at the beach. How could I not. I have to work on getting rid of my runner's tan (which will never go away). And since it was in the 80s, and I feel like I didn't have much of a summer, off to the beach I went! I am very partial to Northeast beaches and I love the waves. But I still managed to enjoy myself. 

Tel Aviv beaches. 

After the beach, I went to explore Carmel Market, which was closed. I then learned that there was another holiday, Simchat Torah, Day of Celebrating the Torah. Ok, so I'll wait another day to explore the market and go find some schwarma. Oh wait, that place is also closed. Ok, hummus will do. And hummus it was. And quite delish. I checked out Humous Abu Dabi and had my fill of hummus. Which is hard to admit since I love hummus. Good thing I just got here. 

Carmel Market.

My time in Tel Aviv went by very quickly. Before I left, I was able to go to the Carmel Market and Old Jaffa flea market. I've been wanting to buy stuff. But I've resisted so far. I bought a hat (fedora in Turkey), but I'm waiting a little bit to see what I absolutely need. Which isn't much. But I'm thinking a long skirt at some point. I'm keeping my eye out. 

I'm now going to finish enjoying my Alexander Blonde and find some dinner. L'chaim. 

Pamukkale and Cappadocia

My Turkey portion of this adventure is coming to a close. And I think it ended it on a pretty good note. Earlier in the week I made my way to Pamukkale to check out the hot springs and travertines on the "cotton mountain". And it was pretty cool. I wish the weather was a bit nicer on the day I went, but I still spent the entire day going in the different travertines, exploring Hierapolis (another ancient city) and just sitting reading my book. Just kind of a lazy day. If you count all the walking around of course. Some of the travertines were dried up which was too bad. I'm not sure why, so this is something I would have to look into. 

Pamukkale travertines.

I had another day in the small town, but there wasn't much else to do. So I just wandered around before my overnight bus to Goreme. Since it's so small, I kept seeing the same people over and over. They noticed me more than I noticed them of course. Oh and one thing that stood out were all the Asian tourists. It was unexpected to see so many people from China and elsewhere. Seems like a pretty popular destination. Before I headed out of town, I had an impromptu dinner with a girl from Colombia (who's currently living in Florence). We were both at this restaurant and were the only patrons, so decided to eat together. She was actually traveling with her sister, but they weren't getting along at the moment. And since I have 5 sisters, I could totally relate. I also took it as an opportunity to do some intel for the South America portion of my trip.

It was time to head to Cappadocia. Not surprising, I did not sleep well on that overnight bus. According to my fitbit, I didn't sleep at all. But I know I dozed off a few times. For some reason we made many stops at rest areas. And for long stretches of time. Not sure why. I had just wanted to get to the Goreme so I could brush my teeth.

Since I arrived early morning and my room wasn't ready yet, I went for a run. I made my way up the hill from my cave hotel and got some pretty amazing views. You could see for miles around and the landscape is pretty incredible. The town is built into these rock formations, hence the cave hotel. You have to look twice to realize that some of the rocks are actually dwellings. I'm glad I stayed in one of the cave hotels, but I am looking forward to more lit accommodations.

Goreme.

In the last couple of weeks I've been getting better at doing some research on where and what to eat. I try to stay away from the higher-priced tourist spots, but sometimes that's a challenge. Firin Express was recommended, and I had the most delicious bread. Their pide (flatbread) was also very good. A nice couple from NYC who were on their honeymoon sat down next to me, so of course we chatted throughout dinner. It was nice to talk a little about home.

I was going back and forth whether I was going to do a balloon ride in Cappadocia. I've seen pictures and it looked amazing. However, I'm on some sort of budget, and I've been on a balloon ride before (outside Amsterdam). After getting up early Thursday morning to watch the balloons, the decision I made to book was confirmed. What a sight it was. And I knew going up in a balloon would be even better. So Friday morning at 4:40am, I was ready for my pick-up. We went to their location to have some breakfast and then made our way to where the balloons were going to be inflated. I learned that about 150 balloons go up whenever the weather is permitting, which is most of the year. We stood by as the crew prepared the balloons. While I was waiting, I met a guy from India and got some more intel for my trip. I still have to do a bit more research, but I think I have a general idea of what I'm going to do for the Sri Lanka/India leg.

Anyway, back to the balloons. Since I'm solo, I found myself on a balloon with a tour group from Korea. I definitely expected to not being able to understand Turkish, but Korean? Forget about it. At least the tour leader was a Yankees fan. Or maybe he's just visited NYC once. We finally made our way up and away! And the views were even more amazing than from the ground. We spent an hour going through the different valleys in the region and made our way up to 900 meters! Normally they get up to 650, but it was pretty clear yesterday morning. I couldn't stop taking pictures (as evidence to my facebook album). And neither could the Koreans. I made friends with the 3 girls in my basket and we all got photos taken with each other. They actually started it as one girl wanted a photo with the American. Who says that you need to speak the same language to be friends? After landed in a horse pasture, we celebrated with the typical champagne toast. However it was the Turkish version of a mimosa and was mixed with cherry juice. No worries,I also got a taste of the champagne alone. 

Balloon ride over Cappadocia.

Besides the balloon ride and eating, I also hiked around a bunch and went to the 3 local wineries. According to my fitbit (yes that again), I hit over 40,000 steps on Thursday. That is a record for me. All that hiking makes one very thirsty. The first winery I visited was the Kocabag Winery in Uchisar. I did 3 tastes (a white, a rose, and a red), but it was a quick visit as the guy working didn't know much English. The wine was pretty good. Yesterday, I made my way to the 2 wineries in Urgup, Turasan Winery and Mahzen Sarap Evi. I got a tour at the first location and tried 4 different wines. I did have to pay for the tour, but at least the tastes were generous. I then made my way down the hill to the next location. Again, this was a somewhat quick experience. Here I tasted a white, a red, and a cherry aperitif. Once I was done though, I sat down in the garden and had a full glass of red with some cheese. Very enjoyable.

I spent my last night in Turkey attending a dinner at my hotel. The hosts cooked dinner for all the guests, which was very nice of them. I relaxed and enjoyed the company of the people who work there, and the other guests.

Overall, I've really enjoyed seeing Turkey. I do have a few parting thoughts as I wait for my flight to Tel Aviv.

• The country was the perfect start of my world trip. A little bit of European and a little bit Asian. Some city, some beach, and some amazing landscapes
• I decided that I really like Cherry juice and will be on the lookout for this back home (lemonade is too sweet here). This is one of their juices offered everywhere
• I'm still a little freaked out about all the cats roaming around the entire country. There are also a lot of dogs, but you don't see many cats out and about in the US. I did make friends with some of the dogs as I ran in different cities. 
• I don't think I've seen as many selfie sticks as I did in this country. However, stay tuned
• Every mosque has a loudspeaker to announce when it's time for prayer. I also believe they use it to communicate big news. They start as early as 5am and have them throughout the day
• Cappadocia was probably the highlight of Turkey and so glad I made it there

Overall, the Turks have been pretty nice and I've had a great time seeing their country. Not only did I see some really great things, but also enjoyed their food and drink. I hope to come back again someday.

Next stop: Israel