Sippin' Coffee in Fes

i got into Fes at 5am it was dark cold and raining, it was absolutely miserable out and i had no clue where i was in relation to the city. I pulled my bag out from under the bus and scurried under an over hang where i noticed the rest of the disembarking passengers were. i took a deep breath and sighed, i looked at the rain and thought, what to do? i watched the rain fall for a few minutes took notice to how wet my jacket was for only being out side for such a short moment, i looked at my pack and that was wet too, i continued to think, what to do as now i began to shiver.
i noticed across the way there was a large building with a light on. the name was in french and i hand no idea of what it meant. i soon I noticed people with bags running towards another far away building in the rain, others were being dropped off near by in taxis. was it the bus station, i wasn't sure but i picked up my bag and made a run for it. upon entering i noticed all the seats to wait were full and it was not a bus station but a train station. i saw a few people sitting on the floor and i took my spot, now even more wet, and still cold, i sat on the tile floor. Although i knew it would not be approved of, i took out my sleeping bag anyway, unzipped it and covered my self, my camera bag and my pack and drifted off to a much needed 2 hour sleep.

I was woken by a guard who was peaking french, i replayed "no pali vu france" and in English he quickly told me "you can't sleep here, where are you going" he asked. i knew there was a 6:50am train to Marrakesh and glancing at the clock i saw it was 7am, "marrakesh" i said, "you just missed it" the guard replied "but there is 1 in a hour" he told me, as i pretended to look confused, "well i guess i'll head back to my hotel," i said as i packed up my sleeping bag and slowly made my way out the door. I was intending to stay in Fes the whole time but was happy to dodge the unpleasant conversation with a disgruntled guard for sleeping on the floor.

I hopped a cab to Ba bou Jaulad, it was my first meter taxi i have had on this whole trip and god i was it bliss to not have to bargain for a ride. i arrived around 730am and it was still dark and cold but the rain has reduced to a drizzle and i was thankful for that. I wondered down the narrow streets of Fes which very much reminded me of the ones of varranasi, minus the cows, shit, and poverty of course. There were new smells, dark allies, wet cobbled roads, not wide enough for a car, but big enough for a donkey to push through with a small cart. My old worn out shoes were soaked and i slowly wondered through the semi empty streets.

Where sight of narrow streets and covered pathways reminders me of india, the chill, the smell of wood fires burning, those brought me staring back to New Zealand, being blessed with many cold autum/winter days in NZ my mind began to wonder as i started to think of the snowy peaks and warm fires. I snapped back into reality and continued on squishing through the old city of Fes in my soggy shoes. Nearly an hour later i could feel the weight of my pack on my shoulders and hips, slightly frustrated that i speak neither french nor arabic i realised i was helplessly lost and no set of directions in a foreign language was going to help me. i made my way to an exit of the old city and payed yet another meter taxi to drop me back off at where i had started.

The rain began to pick up slowly as i reentered at Ba Bau Jelad for a second time. it's time likes these that you miss the people and places you love and are familiar with. stores and hotel doors are now beginning to open and i dropped my bag in one of the first that i looked at, being cheaper than Marrakesh, i was happy to settle and attempt to dry out for a bit.

i was still cold but at this point i was hungry as well and had to find some food. i began to wonder down the same narrow street i was on an hour ago and sat down at cafe which caught my nose, dark roasted coffee drew me in, and the struggles of the early morning began to fade. After a 12hr bus ride that chilled me to the bone and my morning hotel hunt that coffee was a perfect way to start. Now smiling again, I followed the coffee with a lamb and egg tajine, dripping with fat i soaked it all up with a loaf of fresh bread, feeling overly guilty about the year i just took off my life (due to the saturated fat i just drank) my eyes began to wander and watch the cafes across the way as they were absolutely filled. not offering food, many customers were purchasing bread, friend dough rings, and a roti-like snack from other vendors and just sitting down for a single glass of mint tea or a cup of coffee. they sat for hours just watching people pass by, some in groups occasionally talking and some alone just content to be there.

i ate my breakfast and went for a walk, an hour later returning to the same street wondering past the same cafe patrons, as they may have watched me eat breakfast across the way, they may also have watched me wonder past, just watching life drift past, i thought how odd.

Fes really didn't take to me, and maybe it was because i arrived 2 days after the largest Holiday of the year, a holiday which actually lasts a week, where every family slaughters a sheep or a goat, in memory of Abraham who set to the mountain top to kill his son (a sheep was slaughtered instead) so once a year this biblical tale is reenacted. When i think about it my most interesting time in Fes was wondering down the empty streets alone at 730am the morning i arrived. wondering through shoulder width streets, walking past stacks and stacks of folded sheep skins left on the side of the road from the day before, i walked past a Fes city garbage truck which was a donkey with an enormous basket tied to it's back. simply walking the empty streets. i was helplessly lost, slightly bothered but couldn't help but be fascinated with this new city i was forced to explore so early in the morning.

As the city began to wake and the shops open up i struggled to find the charm, the narrow streets became cluttered with people, the old wooden doors decorated in brass studs were covered in cheap clothing, and touristy nick knacks, the serenity was lost. i found my self intentionally getting lost in hopes to find a more unique Fes and never did. of course more streets than not are only traveled by locals, tourists stick to the main paths, but for some reason i was just not into it.
Two full days of Fes and i was done, if i had a guide, a mentor, a local to show me the ins and outs maybe i would have stayed longer but as for this trip i felt like it was time to move on. the next morning, 2 hours before i had to leave i strolled down that same narrow street one more time to grab a bite to eat. i observed the locals the past 2 days and was interested in what they have been snacking on, looking to save a buck or two i followed suit and lined up at a popular morning food stand. i ordered some porous bread backed in a large cast iron skillet almost like a pancake along with a flaky roti style bread, all drizzled with honey.
my breakfast was wrapped in deli paper and i carried it to the closest coffee shop. sipping a black coffee followed by a big glass of hot mint tea, morning traffic passed me by, the milk man delivering 5 gallon seal drums wheeled by me on a bicycle as a donkey loaded with 10+ propane tanks all strapped to it's back trotted past as well. it was cool morning and before the sun came up i could see my breath. i gripped my coffee tight in my bare hand to warm it up as i nestled my back against my seat and rested my head on the wall. more people began to pass and an hour later with an empty glass i realised why people come to these cafes for a simple morning coffee and stay for an afternoon tea. It is simply joying a timeless day, with nothing better to do, why not enjoy it in the sun. as many people back home camp out on the couch and watch the "tube," i realized is much the same. the morning passed quickly as i realised i had 20min. to catch my bus to Chefcheaoun, i better get going.

Morocco update

photo link: http://picasaweb.google.com/vaccaro.marc2424/MarcvaccaroMorocco#

Morocco:
My flight from Cairo was direct into Casablanca, I had heard from other travelers that Casablanca was not all that interesting, the industrial and financial capital of Morocco and was easily forgettable. I took their advice and when arriving at 1am i took a seat in the lobby and waiting out the night until the 6am train would take me away to Marrakesh. A bit tired from the flight, definitely feeling the affects of sleeping on a metal airport/train station chair, i boarded my 5hr train with hopes a comfortable soft seat, a bit of solitude, and a window to look out. I got the soft seat, although it was in a cabin with two others and the window to look out was blazing hot as the sun was baking my side of the train car. I regret not taking out my camera as I cruised ancient homes placed which seemed to me in the middle of know where, the soil was red and full of rocks but it was being farmed none the less. The paddocks for grazing animals were formed not by fences or rock walls but by rows of dense green cactus all linked together. the hills and land rolled on, the sky was blue, and the sun was hot. I dosed off to sleep and woke hungry, i was in Marrakesh.

Marrakesh: The large square located in the old city is no doubt the main attraction of the city. As all major Moroccan cities, there is a modern section filled with your fast food, banks, gas stations, modern hotels, and shopping malls, but the Cities that draw the tourist crowds also have a touch of the past still living in them. For Marrakesh it's the old Souk and the Giant Square which comes to life every day around 10am and goes to sleep around midnight. Snake charmers, fortune tellers, story tellers, gypsies, beggars, scatter them selves across this large public space, but people don't come for that, although it does add ambiance and excitement. they come come for the shopping and the food. With small narrow passage ways branching off from the square i got lost here for hours wandering in and out, looking at spices, fabrics, weird looking shoes, amongs tons of other touristy items. No matter how far i strayed from the center, i was always pulled back because around 5pm the Assembly of an enormous out side restaurant was the high light for me.

Teradaount: a small town located about 4 hours south west of Marrakesh was a interesting stop, I had an inflated bus ticket price due to the national holiday, the bus i was on stopped in another city 1 hour from the my location and i was forced to get a shared taxi from there for the remainder of my trip, amazingly confusing but full of culture and surprises, one surprise being a sheep jumping out of the trunk of the shared taxi when the door was opened to put bags in... didn´t expect that. The city was small but i stayed with a family in their home and it was very peaceful and a wonderful way to experience real culture and see the city through a locals eyes.

Marrakesh to Merzouga: I was forced to pay for a tour to get to Merzouga due to the inflated bus prices and the lack of buses to the area i wanted to go. instead i purchased an over priced tour but got the reap the benefits of spending a bit more money and traveled in comfort in a van with other travelers, got my own bedroom in a nice hotel with a fantastic shower and big bed. We stopped a couple of sights that i would have never seen on a bus, overall i was happy i took the tour. On the day of the big slaughter where all Moroccans (Muslims) kill a sheep my bus passed by home after home where you could see this happening in plain view of the public. It is a holy act and is not something they are embarrassed of and i got to see it all. i´m not a blood thirsty killer but i think it was important to see and experience where your food comes from. if your willing to eat meat you should be accepting of how it gets on your plate. It was another experience i would have never had, had i booked a simple bus ticket.
the tour continued on to Merzouga where we exited our van and were rushed onto Camels, i named mine Carl and the small group headed out into the Sahara desert. I had purchased a beer a day back so i cracked it open and sipped my beer while sitting camel back in the Sahara, i passed it to my fellow travelers and all took in the views while slowly pushing through the desert. the experience was NOT comfortable, camels and the male anatomy don´t mix so well, but overall it was fantastic and wouldn´t take it back for anything. camping below a 15oft dune was amazing and watching the stars drift past me at night was unforgettable. highly recommended.

Fes: The streets, the chaos, the coffee shops were all fun, but over all i was not too impressed with the old city, it might be that i compared it to Marrakesh or the insanity of Varanasi India which it reminds me of, but i enjoyed two days here and called it quits.
Chefchaouen: the blue city, set in the hills of the Rif mountains are unbelievably gorgeous, the homes are all painted in blue, the streets narrow, but built on the hill the view of the city changes as you climb higher or lower. Heading out on the neighboring hills you can look back and see the city from a far and it almost looks like scattered pieces of a mosaic with blues and reds smashed together creating a collage which makes up the city. A mountain town with plenty of water a major crop harvested is weed, and hash is pushed on you relentlessly, in fact i would say it is absolutely impossible NOT to be offered hash 10 to 15 times a day if you walked in and out of the city. ¨how is your day? where are you from? so you need anything?¨ ¨NO, i don´t NEED ANYTHING¨ ¨are you sure, like you don´t need hash¨ ¨NOPE I DON´T NEED HASH¨ ¨are you sure you don´t need any, are you sure¨ and that is how your day is spent if you decide to stay in the city walls. I climbed out side, sat in the country side and took a nap in a field, one day, peaceful and quite. Minus the minor nuisance of the hash pushers, this city is pure gold and was one of my favorites.

Tangier: On arrival i thought that the place held little to no charm, but the deeper i wondered the more i found and was happily content with killing a couple of days here. Coffee shops, the old city, narrow streets, fried fish dishes, a smashed butter bean soup with a healthy scoop of real cold press olive oil, roasted chicken tossed in a special Moroccan seasoning, and some Internet is what i got involved with here. Not my favorite and in fact if i wasn´t killing time before entering Spain (to reduce the amount of euro i was about to spend) i could have only spent a day here, but not upset i spent .
Morocco was a good place to come, one i can see my self coming back to, the cuisine is simple but Delicious, tajines (braised meat dishes normally) is soul warming food, simple but good. I caught the ferry across the straight of Gibraltar and headed to Malaga Spain.

Morocco Email

Yet another Muslim country passes me bye and i havn´t realized how far from home i really am until i crossed the straight of Gibraltar on my two hour ferry, picked up my back pack and wondered into the Spanish Ferry Port. I looked for some food right away and noticed a deli of sorts, it hit me right away, i´m in Spain and there is chorizo, serrano and iberico ham to be eaten, being starved of pork in the Muslim countries i was quite excited. I quickly headed into to buy my self a sandwich and remembered how poor my Spanish skills really are, ¨una sandwich pequeno, con jamon y queso por favor¨ (one small sandwich with ham and cheese please), and then the questions came back in spanish which made little to no sense at all to me, since i didn´t even order the ¨sandwich¨in Spanish and just said ¨sandwich,¨ but i got my food and was happily on my way to the bus station to catch the next one out to the city of Malaga. Another interesting conversations in extremely poor Spanish and I had purchased my ticket and sat waiting for my bus. I looked up and noticed the decorations, i took the earphones out and listened to the music, it´s Christmas time!!! A holiday which doens´t exist in the countries i most recently traveled, Christmas was in my face and i laughed thinking about how different the two worlds are simply separated by a narrow strip of sea.

18 days in Morocco was enough for me, it is a country i can see my self returning to simply because of its close location to Europe and the flavors and food which i have enjoyed. My journey started in Marrakesh and was forced to take a rather unusual rout due to a major festival which grabs a hold of this country and nearly brings it to a crippling halt. In honor of a biblical story where Abraham slaughters a sheep in sacrifice to God (instead of his son), every Moroccan (Muslim family) kills a sheep or goat once a year. I was blessed with traveling the country when all buses, taxis, donkey carts, trains, and camels are booked solid but also had the privilege to witnessing this festival unfold in front to me as i slowly drove past a couple of small downs the day of the slaughter. A bit gruesome to see them killed, bleed, skinned, hung, and butchered all in public. I didn´t mind seeing it, as I am, and always have been a person who eats meat. I think the neat and clean packages stacked in our supermarkets filled with boneless, skinless, animal products are completely unrepresentative of what your are actually consuming, it makes us, at least me, forget that an animal had died and possibly lived a shitty life so i can stuff my fat face. I´m not going vegetarian on ya-all here (sorry to disappoint some) but i was happy to be reminded of how it all goes down.The hills of Morocco were beautifully peaceful as the Sahara desert was much of the same. I avoided riding an elephant while in Thailand due to cost and my disbelief that the animals were even marginally content with the life's they are forced to life. All though i feel partially the same with Camels i found it nearly irresistible to avoid sitting camel back and riding in the the endless sand dunes of the Sahara desert. A two hour, ball breaking ride (literally... quite painful) and my small group arrived at camp where we spent the night watching start pop over the massive 150ft dune we were camping under. From the busy markets of Marrakesh to the tight twisted alleys in Fes, to the colorful but quite streets Chefchaouen and the desolate Sahara desert i felt like i covered a fair bit of ground in a short while.

Morocco is a colorful place filled with culture and the last stop on the long twisted silk road which i have been traveling on and off for the past 15 months of my life. As a chef wondering into the spice markets in Marrakesh i smiled thinking about the distance i have traveled and the familiar sights i saw bottled up in front of me, star anis, galanga, lemon grass, cumin, coriander, different chili varieties, cinnamon, white pepper, black pepper, juniper, all spice, mace, green cardamom, black cardamom, along with the many others i couldn´t even identify. The flavors of the old world collected along the way passing in caravan style from Pacific Ocean and Beijing through Central Asia, into the middle east, across North Africa, dispersing across the Mediterranean into Europe or eventually making its way to the Atlantic here in Morocco. A world of flavor sat in front of me, and just like all those flavors, i´ll soon be heading across the ocean as well. Sitting now in Madrid Spain after arriving two days ago, eating tapas with some new friends, cooking dinner for some others, watching a Soccer match in a 50,000 person stadium last night, and waking up to snow on the cars this morning, i am currently waiting for my flight to Buenos Aries Argentina. I´ve been thinking about all the ground i have covered up until this point and it amazes me how far i have come. One last long air plane ride across the Atlantic Ocean puts me back in the Americas, just one step closer to home, with a few thousand miles of solid traveling ahead of me i´m ready to tackle one last continent.

Leaving Siwa

Some times it takes leaving an place to realize how beautiful, unique, or special it really is, Siwa Oasis was that kind of place for me.
My last morning is when I realized how great Siwa is, it's not necessarily the most beautiful, not the cleanest, and the accommodation didn't blow me away, the simplicity of life, the relaxed atmosphere and of course the people is what I missed in Siwa before I even left.

I woke early to get together some breakfast before Preston and I set out on our three day jeep caravan across the desert, I had already dialed in where to go for some good food. It was around 6:30am and there were more people than normal stirring about. I wandered down the dusty, sand filled street past a few donkey carts, a couple more passed me as I smiled at the man in the coffee shop, which is where I would be sitting at if I had just one more day.

I walked by a shop keeper who smiled at me as I passed, happy to see I was out and about with the locals. The street turnerd to mud and I tiptoed down the ally shoulder to shoulder with a young kid whom insisted speaking arabic to me, I smiled and nodded both of us knowing dame well I didn't have a clue what he was saying but we both laughed at the lack of communication.


Iron bars hung in the window of a crumbling old building, painted in faded pastels of yellow and blue. In front of the bars were 4 men dressed in robes and head scarves waiting for the same thing me and my young friend came to get, fresh pita. The bread came piping hot out of the oven and one by one the men in front of me scurried away smiling with stacks and stacks of hot bread. I picked up 5 pieces for a whopping 4cents and strolled back down the alley chomping away at my morning snack. The shop keeper who acknowledged me earlier winked and nodded his head in approval as I slowly made my way to my next stop.

The falafel stand selling a roasted eggplant salad with tomato and chillis and of course felafel. The gentleman behind the counter recognized me as this was my third time to his shop and greeted me with Asalaam Alekium (may peace be upon you) and my response Alekium A Salaam (upon you may there be peace). Picked out my falafel and grabbed some eggplant salad and walked back to meet preston with breakfast.

Picking up our case of water we purchased for our desert excursion the man at the coffee shop offered us a free ride to our jeep and we happily declined as it was only 100 yards away. The sleepy town was slowly coming to life as we were passed by more of the popular local transport, 2 wheeled carts pulled by donkeys, the character and charm of this slow moving town was trotting past us as we made our way to the 4x4 that would soon be home for the next few days.

Exiting siwa we cruised through small dirt roads just wide enough for a donkey cart and our 4x4 to fit through, small date trees which can be mistaken for palms lined the road creating a bit of shade in the early morning heat. The jeep picked up speed as we rolled to the edge of town and began to cruised at a steady 45mph. We passed over a large dirt causeway Which split one large salt lake into two. We drove for a few minutes watching the water go from a deeper blue to a shallow tourquise and eventually evaporating into the salt lined desert floor which I would soon be driving through for days. I looked ahead to see what was in front of us and the jeep rolled to a Stop, the road forked, the lakes, dates, and Siwa were all behind me. I glanced down the road to the left to see a narrow stretch of pavment reaching as far as the eye can see. My jeep turned right and as my eyes shifted to the windscreen infront of me, where the view pretty much remained the same and the 7 of us in the jeep sped off into "the great sea of sand."

...we stopped for the night amongst sand and odd shaped rock formations, I look up at the sky and the stars made me remember how small I really am. Stepping away from the camp fire and the glow of the camping light which illuminates the large mat my self and the 5 others will be sleeping on, I stop for a moment and allow my eyes to adjust to the darkness. My shoes are off and I can feel the soft sand between my toes. Preston has already laid out a mat and is on his back taking in the view. On a moonless night by the light of the stars I peer out into the desert to see a a rugged landscape and even more stars creeping up over the horizon. I took my place on the cool sand laying on my back a few feet from Preston enjoying the silence and peace of the desert night. One can get lost in thought out here, lost in imagination, and easily lost marveling over the simple beauty of the desert. The silence was broken by the soft song being sung by our guide in Arabic, I sat up and caught a whiff of the nights dinner being cooked over a wood fire. I took in one last eye full of stars and began to grin because here I was miles from home watching the stars pop over the horizon in the Egyptian desert, life is good. I followed my nose back to the camping mats and looked forward to warm dinner on this cool desert night.

Egypt update

Not many roads comprise this country, it is a huge area with lots of empty land, sand dunes do not roll on as far as the eye can see as i once though, but the desert is large and can be perceived as endless when sitting out in the middle of it on a starry night. The Oasis towns are particularly interesting, some not so pleasant, but remarkable to see where people settled simply because of water and an underground spring. An ancient country with beautiful ruins, museums and history that can keep you busy for years, i enjoyed Egypt and was impressed with how friendly the people remain considering the millions of tourists whom plow through there country each year.



As it has been for thousands of year the Nile river valley provides almost all the land to sustain life and it's this narrow stretch of land that gets tramped by tourists day in and day out. Some visitors complain about being ripped off, scammed, or hassled by aggressive Egyptians, i say deal with it or don't come! Egypt for me was a good time!




Cairo: a bustling city of millions trapped with both old and new world ideas, farm land still being used along the nile river, prime real estate that strong willed locals refuse to give up. There is the urban sprawl of Giza which pushes up just a few feet from the entrance to the great pyramids and the sphinx. Donkey's and Camels still exist just a few miles from the city center along side tall buildings and consumer driven locals. The current direction of Cairo is apparent while the history and past has been put on display in the Cairo Museum.
I enjoyed the pyramids which can be reached in a simple day trip, i was amazed at how close to the city they actually are and surprised in how many people roam the desert attempting to sell you crap. i was a bit taken back when a police man asked me for a tip when he pointed me in the same direction i was heading and also surprised when i told him to piss-off and he just smiled.

Siwa: just about 50 miles from the Lybia boarder this sleepy little Oasis was a awesome place to chill for a few days. there is a fair bit to see and do, from sand boarding, to bike rides, to 4x4ing on the dunes, swimming in the hot springs, or wandering through the date plantations. the town is filled with 2 wheeled carts that are pulled by donkeys, it's how kids get to school, local restaurant delivery are made or just a way to get from point A to point B, donkey carts were everywhere.
being so isolated the town was quaint, quiet, and relaxing, it was also a dry (no booze), so my plan to drink tequila and ride around on a cart with a long stick and a thin rope with a carrot tied to the end (my cartoon vision of some obsucre life someone mayh have had) with my buddy Preston was foiled by the lack of "juice." probably a good thing but i'm sure it would have made for a good story. Siwa was a good place, about a 12hr bus from Cairo and the starting point to my desert tour.

Baharia, Black Desert, White Desert: Leaving Siwa in a 4x4 we were heading to Baharia another small Oasis town in the middle of nowhere. 450klm later we arrived in town after rolling for hours through the sand and bumpy roads. Baharia was not a place to go and hang out, not much going on but a ok place to stop for a cold beer after a long drive, unfortunately my guide wasn't havin' any of that and out to the desert we went to camp for the night.
Black Desert was nice to drive through but really not as interactive as the White. the white was filled with odd shaped mineral deposits which were left behind by evaporating water, as 1000's of years ago it was once the ocean floor. Shells line the desert as well reflecting the light of the sun to give you this truly odd glare. we camped in the white desert which was fantastic and would recommend doing for at least one full day and night, it was a cool place to drive through.

Aswan and Abu Simbal: Aswan was the middle point for a day trip to Abu simbal and a boat ride up the nile in a faluca all in one day. Up at 3am we got in a bus to about 100 miles from the Sudan boarder to see one of Egypts national treasures. a Monument which they cut up into large stone section and moved to a new location due to rising water from the Aswan dame. Impressive that people could build such structures 4000 years ago and equally impressive to see that it can be moved and a whole fake mountain created to house it. Personally i found it to be a bit far and if given the choice again may have passed on trekking all the way down here to get to it.
we hopped back on the bus drove 3.5 hours back through the desert to Aswan where we boarded a Faluca (boat) which powered by the wind took me and a 5 other travelers up river where we camped for the night. This i would have done for 2 nights but foolishly only paid for 1.

Luxor: Karnak Temple was and impressive religious sight and daunting to walk though. i found comprehending its age and its elaborate design to be near impossible. Valley of the Kings left me feeling the same way. The Knowledge of the Ancient Egyptians and their ability to build such things is very very impressive. while here i was also fortunate to celebrate the victory of an Egyption soccer match against algeria which pushed for a play off (which they lost days later) to get into the world cup. Preston and I were having a cold beer on the roof top of the hostel when we heard the explosion in the streets, cars were honking their horns, screaming and shouting. we ran down to the street knowing exactly what had happened and joined in on the celebration. An hour later i had found my self, riding 3 deep on a mortorcycle, standing on the roof of a few cars, mini vans, and taxis along with countless other Egyptions screeming EEEEEEEEEEEGYPT on top of my lungs. Hi-fivin' locals, shakin' hands and kissin' babies.... it was a lot of fun to see how well we were recieved for cheering for the home team, an experience to say the least.


Back in Cairo, Preston and I chilled out for a few days, ate some good local food and preparied to part ways. me on to Morocco and him down to Tanzania. I enjoyed my stay in egypt.

Egypt Email

Time is moving faster than ever!

December 3rd will mark 15 months on the road, god i can't believe it and never would have if you told me this before i had left. Do i miss home a lot of people have recently asked? Well sure, how can you not, but i don't think it's my physical home that i miss more than life being simple, knowing where i will be that day, knowing how i'll get there, and where i'll be laying down for the night. I miss the simple things like opening up the refrigerator and making my self a meal, washing my own cloths in a washing machine that actually works, having a day off. i know that sounds crazy, i have had 15 months off (more or less), but a day in my home, any home where i can type on my computer, see friends, talk on the phone, watch some mindless television, or even just get in the car and go for a drive, those are things i miss.

My Camera lens broke a few counties back and fixing it has proven to be tough than expected. my camera bag/day bag has broken zippers, i have sewed all my shorts because tears are happening more frequently now, i hopped a barbwire fence in New Zealand to take a photo and sure enough i tore those pants as well. My shoes, well, they are melting off my feet as we speak and i'm amazed that they still stay on, i'm on my 9th pair of flip flops, and my hat collect more filth by the day. the cloths i have are sun faded and a bit raggedy but they'll make the journey home just like i will. My body can feel the affects of time as well, over night buses which were once a great way to skip out on a nights rent in a hostel are now getting painful and although i do eat well the constant change of diet isn't always pleasant on the stomach. Regardless, change, challenges, and variety are the spice of life and it's still a happy life i live.

regardless of the condition of the cloths, the gear i carry, random cravings for a everyday life, and the occasional back pain from long distance travel, Egypt the country i just visited has flown by faster than i have ever expected, in fact time is moving faster now than it ever has before. twenty three days of museums, pyramids, temples, boats, trains, and deserts has made thinking about home near impossible. As I have missed my friends and family since the day i left, i have also met some amazing people in the process including a fantastic American whom i had the pleasure of traveling Egypt with (Preston). Although all of you are on my mind, a trip like this does not come everyday and the excitement of new countries and tasty food is still pushing me forward. Amazingly the thrill of travel has yet to grow old and as i glanced at a calendar today to check the date, look at flights, and plan for the future my heart nearly sank when i realized that 2009 is coming to a rapid end, it has been a brilliant eye opening year, and i'm STILL HUNGRY FOR MORE!!!

The Heat of the desert is visible as you peer off across the sand, the sun is high and the hair on top of your head feels like it is going to burst into flames. There are few dunes but you are surrounded with sand and you look off in the distance and you can see a faint patch of green, it's a Oasis. As you approach with a parched mouth, sun burnt hands and a scarf wrapped around your face to shield you from the elements you notice that it was all a just a marriage...

Well, thankfully i never experience this feeling but the thought of an Egyptian desert Oasis was something i needed to scratch an itch for. Thinking back when i was a child and seeing movies and cartoons that depict these romantic locations i was curious to see how they truly are. In reality most of them are far from pleasant but Siwa a mere 50 miles from the Lybia Boarder was quite a nice surprise, date trees lined the side of the road, carts pulled by donkeys were equally as popular as cars or motor bikes, life moves slow and i was happy to soak that up while i had a chance. I moved quickly through Egypt but it was at Siwa where me and Preston got to settle down briefly and experience desert life as it slowly rolled past us in the form of a donkey cart. As the rest of Egypt was as expected filled with must visit tourist sights, Siwa and the desert was that slice of something different that i really enjoyed.

Moving faster than i normally would have, Egypt pasted me by in the blink of an eye. Driving through the desert for 3 days, hitching rides in a flat bed truck, swimming in an Oasis fresh water spring, sleeping on a faluca (Egyptian sail boat) on the Nile, visiting the pyramids, luxor, valley of the kings along with other national monuments was great they were a must, something i had wanted to see since i was a kid and i was happy to finally experience what they are truly like.

PHOTO LINK:

http://picasaweb.google.com/vaccaro.marc2424/MarcvaccaroEgypt?feat=directlink

Entering Syria

I wake up in my dingy bedroom roughly 8feet by 10feet and am wondering what i was doing here. to get to this point in Turkey i was coming from Malatya where i purchased the wrong bus ticket, after a game of charades at the bus station trying to explain in English to the non-english speaking Turkish bus attendant that i wanted to go to Antakya not Goziantep, i gave up and sat quietly on the bus until it rolled to a stop 3 hours later. More charades ensued and i got my point across, i was out to the boarder town and arrived at 8:40pm.

I hate these towns, filled with scammer, con artists, and people just trying to make a buck, i typically dismiss them and head across the boarder as quickly as i can but this was different, this was Syria and i know that as an American i had some waiting around to do at the boarder (to obtain a visa) and didn't want to show up late at night and turn it into a overnight stay. Forced to enjoy my last night in Turkey i wandered around eating some more Kebabs before dragging my sorry ass back to my terrible little room. I woke at 7:00am and walked out to the taxi/bus stop and was assaulted by taxis offering me outrageous prices for a ride to Aleppo, Syria. Ignoring them i took a stroll to a huge fruit and veg market getting lost in the screaming and shouting and chaos of the market. I picked up some baked goods knowing my next few hours may be long and painful and headed back to the buses, where i purchased my ticket and was off.

It is rummered that Americans can wait up to 9hours for a visa, just getting to the boarder after 9am, could take up to 4 hours of bumper to bumper traffic, so getting on my bus early was a must. As I pulled out of town i looked out my window at the shops to see spinning chicken and lamb kebabs, rotating whole chickens over coal fires, a man selling Simits (bread) on a large wood platter carrying it on his head, i soaked up the last minutes of Turkey and began to prepare for what lay ahead.



40 minutes on the bus and i watch the scenery change driving from city, to small towns, through olive grooves and finally out to the rural country side, i look up at the rocky hills and immediately notice a Guard Towers perched overlooking the valley. my eyes followed the landscape down which opened up to fields that eventually lead to the side of the road where weathered concrete pillars held countless strands of old rusty barbwire. A few miles down the road the rusted barbwire was accompanied by fresh barbwire and more guard towers, i took a wild guess, i must be getting closer to Syria. The bus drove on and i can see the frame of an old broken down stone building, seconds later we rolled under a big red sight that said "Good Bye," i was leaving Turkey and heading into the middle east.



The bus stops and the 14 passengers are ushered off in an unknown directions. No one speaks english but true to all countries you need a exit stamp so i cued up as the others foolishly walked past the long lines. minutes later i was through the line waiting for my fellow passengers who just then had realized they needed an exit stamp. Now back on the bus crossing over "no mans land" (neutral zone) and on to a large building where yet another much anticipated game of charades would be followed by the painfully long visa process. I got lucky, I was assisted by a Syrian man who was attempting to get his Turkish friend through the same process, neither of us had visas, but for me it was a bit of a gamble, where for him it was simply time. At first i thought i would be in and out in no time at all, my Syrian friend was being overly helpful, but then all of a sudden everything came crashing to a halt, the power turned off. As if this is a common occurrence everyone quietly walks away from the crowded visa window, i was next up and was hesitant to sit down but following the others i too shuffled away as there was nothing i could do but wait. I wait patiently by my self, thinking where the hell am I? Thinking how on earth can the power go out at a military base, a boarder crossing? More people begin to come in, more tour buses arrive and i begin to get overly anxious, i begin to fidget waiting for the sign of power to bring life back into this building. 30min. later i saw the flicker of a light, the fan started to tic and pick up speed, the quite stale air burst into a sweaty frenzy as we all dash forward pushing towards the window. i lost out in my spot by one position but quickly payed by 16usd, got my much needed paper stamped and ran over to yet another officer for more question and answer on why i'm coming to Syria. NOW that the waiting game began.

I sat for 1 hour, 2 hours, my bus had left me as all the other passengers had their visas in 30 minutes, i watched crowds of people come and go, a full building of commuters, boarder crossers filling the room and then draining back out. More buses showed up and Arabs all pushing each other back and forth holding there green USD in their hands and screaming in an unfamiliar language, to pay there stamp fee and get thier visas. It was a scene out of the every day life of a wall street stockbroker but instead of buying stock all they wanted was to get in front of the next guy in line and make their way across the boarder, i sat and watched in amazement truly observing a culture I had never seen before.



More buses come and go and i sit longer, i sit on my back pack, i sit on the ground amongst the stale cigarette butts, spilled chai (tea), i sit amongst the flies which relentlessly land on any piece of exposed skin. As if waiting wasn't torture enough, the flies certainly increased my insanity levels. 3, 4, 5 hours tick by and finally a man comes and gets me, hands me the passport and pushes me towards another line.
An Arab man with a thick black mustache and a tan uniform sat behind the desk blankly looking at me, cigarette hanging between his lips with a long cone of ash still clinging on as it continues to burn longer. he grabs my passport and begins clicking away at the computer. a cup of chai on his left and a large fat immigration guard on his right methodically flipping through passports stamping them, then throwing them into a pile. sweat dripping off his round face onto the desk or what ever he was working on. I looked back to the man with my passport continuously clicking away, i looked up at the lights on the ceiling and all i can think is please let the power hold out for another minute or two. Again, back to my cigarette smoking immigration officer to see the long ash had hit the desk next to my passport, but this didn't matter because in his hand was an inked up stamp, he smacks it down on an already cluttered passport page. No smile, tight lips, dark eyes, and a thick black mustache, he looks at me and nods his head as he passes it over through the window..... I'm IN.

syria/jordan

Aleppo: This was my Introduction to the Middle East, a dusty old city which i happened to really like. i wasn't sure what to expect but what i found was some very interesting bazaars the "Souq" was a maze of paths which twist and turn and can leave you wandering for days, the streets are filled with the perfume of local made soap, barrels of dry spice, freshly roasted coffee beans with toasted cardamom, and of course Shawarma (kebabs) being roasted. I stayed only 2 days here and wish i had spent more time, it was an interesting city which turned out to be my favorite in syria.

Hama: A mid way stop for the Dead Cities, castles, and Alpamea, i spent two days here and begun the middle eastern trend of sleeping on a roof top. I found it to be extremely cheap, not always the most comfortable, but the best way to meet some real interesting travelers. Aussie Steve whom i met up with later in my trip was amongst the first roof top dwellers i met.

Hamma was nothing spectacular but visiting a Crusader Castle of Saladin, seeing the broken ruins of the dead city and the rows and rows of roman columns out in the desert was a good day.

Palmyra: a ancient oasis town which holds the remains of a beautiful old roman city was a bit out of the way, located in middle of nowhere it was a major point of interest between the Romans and Prussians thousands of years ago. the City fell to the Romans hence the familiar architecture.

Damascus: on of the oldest cities in the world, i expected a bit more. the Souq (market) was located in the old city and it was an impressive maze of stalls and shops but did not hold up to my expectations. Many disagree with me, and love it, but personally i found it to be nothing more than a semi modern city that has been rebuild a few times over.

Jordan: This Country was a bit of a blur and i definitely did not make it to all the spots i would have liked. Missing Bethany where Jesus was believed to be baptized on the river Jordan and not having the money to get into Wadi Rum, the great Red Desert, i took a much quicker approach to the country.

Eating in Amman was cheap and delicious but the city it's self had little to offer besides some good Arabic food which i could have stayed and eaten for a few days, but chose to push on. Driving to Mt. Nebo where Moses died and a church was erected in his name, floating on the dead sea which is truly the most indescribable feeling on earth, driving through the rural and rugged Jordanian country side and stopping in Petra was all a part of one long day.

Petra was a sight to be seen, a city literally carved into the mountain side, the elaborate design and the color of the sand stone was something i wont forget. i spent two days here wandering around the sight, hiding as the park closed and slowly making my way out in the cover of night to squeeze just a little bit more out of the experience. getting there at 7am was fantastic, mid day was filled with day trip tourists, my wander out of the ancient city at 8pm was quiet and peaceful, a great way to end the day.

Overall i can't say that i didn't like Syria and Jordan but i am the type of person who loves his out doors, i love my natural beauty and these ancient countries are filled with tons of ruins and more history than you can imagine. I can't say i didn't enjoy it, it was just not as exciting as other places i have been. I would love to go back and do Wati Rum, I wouldn't mind spending a few more days in Aleppo, but if i return to the Middle East, Lebanon and Israel will probably occupy more of my time than the crumbling castles and ruins of Syria and Jordan.

syria/jordan email

I remember my flight from Delhi to Doha, Qatar I sat in the airport for 6 hours thinking about where i was and what was around me. Qatar, a small peninsula jutting out of Saudi Arabia connected to the United Arab Emirates. It's baffling to think of its location when sitting at home in New York and imagining that I would ever be there, but sure enough that's where i sat, had a cup of coffee an waited for my flight to Istanbul.

My flight out was equally as daunting as the planes wheels left the runway and i peered out of my little window out at the Persian Gulf, the plane swooped around pointing it's nose back in the direction of land as i got to catch a glimpse of the emerald waters of Bahrain before my view drastically changed. Soon i was flying over Saudi Arabia, the eastern portion of Jordan, and Syria, names that seem more like they belong in a fable than actual reality. From my comfortable couch back at home they seem untouchable, alien even, places most Americans are never encouraged to dream about, and here i was flying over them, looking down wondering how different life can be just a few thousand miles below my airplane seat.

Twenty days later i found my self sitting on tile floor waiting at the boarder of Turkey and Syria for 5 hours as my visa was being processed. Surrounded by screaming taxi drivers, bus men, and a few more travelers than i would have expected attempting to get their stamps to pass through. Syria the home of terrorist a place where Americans and westerners are hated, it was truly terrifying. The man in Aleppo who served me the most delicious Shawarma (kebab), not once, or twice, but three times in a one hour sitting was nothing but smiles and laughs, the free soap and spices i was asked to take as a gift in the markets was not scary but odd since no shop keepers in the states ever offered me free product, the locals whom helped me find my bus and showed me how to read Arabic when i couldn't find my seat, well, they were not to intimidating either.

Jordan though, that is where you really need to watch out. I got into Amman late at night and a western couple who was living there quickly explained cab fair and helped me to my guest house, i stumbled down the street to look for some food where i found lines of locals waiting and of course i joined in on the line. Fresh baked bread stuffed with chillies, minced lamb, and diced onions and seasoned with toasted cumin was on the menu, served with fresh middle eastern yogurt char grilled tomato and green chillies for a whopping $1.05 usd. the Smiling man behind the counter slinging meat filled dough pockets into the oven, flipping them with a long metal paddle just smiled, took my money, and watched me happily devour every bite of his creation.

Taking a tour trough Holy country passing the Jordan river, sitting upon Mt. Nebo, and floating in the Dead Sea with about 100 other tourists was not to dangerous at all. Heading south to Petra followed by countless tour buses jammed with Europeans AND Americans a like was a huge surprise and the only thing scary about that was the fact that i once again blended into the masses whom the locals see as dollar signs.

My Stay in Syria and Jordan was short, and as you may have guessed I never found it to be dangerous. Just like every country you visit you must be on guard, you need to do your research and follow your better judgment. I never wandered into any ghettos at night and I never got into a heated political or religious debate in a locals home, but then again why would I.


Before arriving I didn't know what to expect, i wasn't so ignorant to believe that every one is a terrorist and out to get me, surely that was not what i thought but unfortunately that is what i felt like i should believe. All stereotypes have truth, but just like "Americans are overweight," or as they believe here "American's are all wealthy," stereotypes can also hold minimal truth, as we all know the USA is not overpopulated with rolly-polly rich men. Like wise the people i met were not terrorists, didn't know any terrorists, and do not hate Americans and westerners. For the most part they were happy to have an American in their country because just like a lot of us, they are proud of their culture and overly happy to share it with you.

When picturing the Middle east I wondered what exactly i may see, and what i found were plenty of women dressed in all black, men with long beards dressed in all white, the days can be hot and the nights can be cold. there are broken down buildings, there is rubble and debris laying about, there are some camels, there are some donkeys, the desert is endless but rolling sand dunes as far as the eye can see were never on my horizons, there are mosques, and people do pray quite often. It was a different culture, but life here is quite the same as it is anywhere else, there are happy people and sad people, religious people and non religious, rich and poor, fortunate and less fortunate. The Muslim culture was one i had yet to experience and i am happy to have gotten the chance to see, live, and try to understand it.


The people are what made this part of the world interesting and exciting to me, overall I found most of them trying to beat a stereotype that has been placed on them by a very powerful western media. If there was one word that most non english speaking Arabs knew, it was not hello or money, which you find in most countries, it was "welcome."

I hope that my Sarcasm about terrorists and being unsafe was detected!

Syria/Jordan Pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/vaccaro.marc2424/MarcvaccaroSyriaJordan?feat=directlink

Boating on the Med

I'm staring at the mid day sky and i had lost my personal battle not to give in to the ultimate cliche in music selection, but hell with blue skies, the sun bright and hot, and while laying on my back on the roof of a yacht nothing sounds better than playing a little Bob Marley "don't worry, about a thing, cause every little thing, gunna be alright...."

I had 4 days on the Mediterranean with 15 guests, 3 crew, and the beautiful Turkish coast line to explore. the guest comprised of a few Aussie females with a couple of their male partners, a mother daughter duo, two Aussie guys, a Texan woman, and a French Canadian woman with hairy armpits who was as crazy as bat shit but made me laugh, and my younger Swedish friend it was a good crew. Much better than the bunch i sailed with in northern Vietnam all 60+ year old french speakers, i was excited for a few relaxing days of nothing.

Still staring into space i think about boarding the boat dropping off my pack in my crowded, tiny, cabin i will be sharing with the 2 Aussie guys, an i knew as i set my pack down that i would only be using that room to change. i would be sleeping exactly where i lay, on the roof of the boat, under the stars, i would be swimming, reading, and relaxing. with the boat sailing east i momentarily drifted off to sleep to the melodic sounds of Marley belting out one of this classics. The gentle rocking of the boat only encouraged my eye lids to shut a bit tighter. Half day dreaming and half asleep i fantasized about small coastal towns, fresh sea food, cool clear Mediterranean water, cold beers in the hot sun, broken Roman and Greek ruins scattered about the coast line, and soaking it all in on the boat with no shirt and no shoes.


The boat had stopped rocking, my ipod had run out of power and the metallic sound of the thick anchor chain clinking against the metal lead on its way off the boat and into the water prompted me to open my eyes. my day dream fantasy was an immediate reality as we were stopping off the coast of St. Nicholas Island. Filled with crumbling old churches and homes, the tiny island speckled in olive trees and rugged oceanic rock was the part of the beauty i had come to see. I open my eyes wide and in the distance I could see the quaint city of Kas and the rapidly approaching blue water of St. Nic's bay, crashing through the surface head first i opened my eyes to take in the stunning clarity of the Mediterranean water. I floated to the surface and laying on my back facing the mid afternoon sun and i smiled, i was happy to have a few more days of this wonderful life.

Turkey

Istanbul: Showing up in Istanbul was fantastic, I was coming in off nearly a year in asia and i was ready for somthing different. getting off the airplane an landing in a western country was not culture shock but a shock none the less it was a change i was ready to make. Heading to the subway i hoped on two connecting trains and was in Sultan Hamet with in an hour and wondered up to Old City Hostel where i stayed for the next week. Istanbul was a great city filled with both ancient and modern sights. Bazaars and Markets were fantastic and the food and restaurants endless. I spent a small part of every day wandering through the Spice Bazaar talking to vendors and learning a little more about local flavors. Eating in Istanbul turned out to be more expensive than expected, although it is easy to get through a day on a budget, when surrounded by new flavors i found it nearly irrisistable and was putting down about 4 to 5 meals aday.

Pamukkale: is a small town about 8 hours south of Istanbul with two major attraction situated right on top of each other. the roman runes and the calcium hot springs. I met up with a group of Italians who were traveling together and tagged along, hiking up the calcium deposits and lounging in the warm water was a great way to spend the morning, exploring some of the runes was also a fantastic afternoon. the town was small and it could have been turned into a day trip but lounging around and being in the country side is not a bad thing, so i enjoyed my day in Pamukkale.

Ephesus: is a very large roman ruines, it is quite impressive, but nothing that got me overly excited, i stayed in the costal town close by instead of staying close to ephesus, it was a better spot for a friend who was leaving the next day for greese (via boat), Selcuk is the closer location.

Fethiye: is a port town and a pretty nice place to lay low and relax, coffee shops, restaurants, and waterfront property all come together to make a nice city. an easy place to make day trips if heading by boat to the blue lagoon, butterfly valley or any other near by water front attractions. It is also a place to organize a 3 night 4 day boat tour to olympus which i did via the V-GO company.

On the Boat: The boat stopped in the blue lagoon, butterfly valley, kas, sunken city, st. nicks island, along with a couple other locations. it was a beautiful way to spend 4 dys, relaxing, drinking, listening to music and enjoying the mediterannean, it was a nice part of my trip.

Olympus: A very Chill city with a ton of low key hostels, i stayed at Bayrams and it was a great place for a great dorm room and a fantastic breakfast and dinner included in the room cost. being close to the beach and the ruins was also a huge plus. i wondered around the ruins for 1.5 days and did my fair share of sitting on the beach. Climbing to the top of Mt. Olympus to see the ever burning flames was unique but nothing overly special, just a fire burning out of gas vents, the flames were relatively small and constant but a nice thing to see at night, unfortunately many people feel the same and it can get a bit crowded up there (30min. hike to the flames from the bottom).

Capadoccia: my favorite part of turkey, my first day i hiked the red and rose valley, the second day i did pigeon and love valley, the third and fourth day i spent on a scooter riding around from sun up to sun down. the town of Goreme and the surrounding towns and areas were simply magic. I was in awe with the landscape and beauty of this part of turkey. I fell in love with capadoccia and could have spent more time here with out a doubt.

Nemrut Dagi: was a 6 hour bus ride that left me and a friend spending the night on a bus station floor, a 7am bus to town, 9am tourist information opened and by noon we were on our way up the mountain to see the remains of the 36BC ruins. the sight was stunning and the history behind the sight was interesting to see and hear about. the trip to and from the location will be almost as memorable as the stunning sunrise that i witnessed on top of the hill. it was along way to go for a small national icon. i enjoyed it though.

Turkey Email

I stepped across the gap that separates the terminal from the airplane and inhaled my last taste of humid hot Indian air, i sat down on my seat and readied my self for the next leg of the journey, I'm finally leaving Asia. I pick up an in flight magazine and start to day dream on where I'm heading, Turkey......

Men with Mustaches in baggy pants slicing meaty Kebabs as it spins around a charcoal flame while dancing in those funny little red hats with a black tassel is what my vivid imagination expected to see when i got off the plane in Istanbul. A huge party with tons of tea the infamous Turkish coffee and plentiful food surrounded by sheep and goat in a country side pick nick. Bottles of Mediterranean wine and a cool breeze as i kick up my feet on a red and white checker blanket while sitting under and olive tree meters from the sea, this is what i thought about. Surely I'm not that naive to expect such a wonderland to exist, but in all honesty i didn't really know what to expect.

What i found was a culture who never really adopted the English language, and really why should they? This was something i was not totally ready for since i was only armed with 15 pages of a guide book which i ripped out of a larger book that remains on my shelves at home collecting dust. Istanbul which held many of my food fantasies did not disappoint in terms of the wonderful kebabs which i inhaled on a bi-daily basis, the presence of the silk road and the spice trade was ever so present when entering the Grand Bazaar (the worlds oldest mall) and the near by Spice Market, where mounds of dry spices coming from as far east as china and as close as the fields of turkey lay in piles ready for purchase.

I couldn't stay in Istanbul for too long but my time there was very pleasant, a city i would love to return to, and looking back after being away from it for nearly a month i already miss it. What is lacking in language and verbal communication is often made up in smiles and generosity, from being offered free tea in Istanbul, or walking through orchards in Capadoccia and being handed some fresh grapes or apples straight off the vine or tree from one of the farmers, i enjoyed talking the one true international language, FOOD. wondering down the rural streets near Goreme (Capadoccia) and watching an old couple slowly stir a bright red sauce over an open fire on the side of the road was a good afternoon, having them break off a big piece of warm fresh bread and ladle a heaping spoon of fresh tomato, red bell pepper, and paprika sauce over it and having that same couple enjoy my smile as the food disappeared into my mouth as quickly as it hit my hand was even better. the burnt roof of my mouth was not so nice, but worth it!

After spending time wandering ancient ruins, enjoying the Mediterranean, climbing Mt. Olympus, I headed to Capoadoccia a awe inspiring part of the world filled with amazing rock formations where refugees of persecution once lived. After spending countless hours on night buses and having the true landscape of turkey hidden from me, i hopped on my favorite mode of transportation, the Scooter, and spent 2 days driving through old towns exploring the center of this rather large country.

Olive trees, grape vines, and small homes which sparsely cover the rather large dusty landscape is what i found. while the Cities are quite modern with all your standard amenities, it is far from the case as you move into the center and head farther east, horse drawn buggy is still a popular means of transportation, farming is still a major source of income and the livelihood for many. a simple and beautiful way of life, personally I'm happy with visiting and don't expect to go MIA any time soon, but it was quite pleasant to explore some of these smaller towns, slowing down life, enjoying a cup of tea and a huge sloppy plate of Izkander Kebab.

A bit difficult to get around at times, the lack of language can limit the variety of food you can get, although the sweets are countless and always pushed in your face, the mustaches are plentiful, the small red hats with a black tassel remain in the tourist stores, and the dancing, baggy pants, meat slicing kebab men will remain in my dreams while the meat that i have devoured will probably remain in my gut for a few more months. I enjoyed Turkey and all the people who I met there.

Photo Link: http://picasaweb.google.com/vaccaro.marc2424/MarcvaccaroTurkey?feat=directlink

Ariving in Varanasi

after a 25hr train ride i stumbled out of the coach ready for Varanasi, i have heard stories, read up on it and was eager to see what this holy city was all about. by no means was this a food journey this was a cultural experience and one i was excited for. i walked down the tracks sticking out like a sore thumb, regardless of how hard i try to fit in, my scraggly beard, rapidly growing long hair and disheveled look is nothing new amongst backpackers, my 17kilo backpack is also pretty conspicuous. i was approached right away with a ridiculous offer of 400 rupees for a 15kilometer ride into the city center. the cheapest method would be to get back on a connecting train and transfer from there but after 25hrs on my last train i was happy with some fresh air and the wild streets of India.
rejecting my first offer and haggling on the second i was off to Varanasi for 120 rupees. in typical fashion as i approached my stop a random Indian jumped on to my rickshaw, exchanged words in Hindi with my driver. i was dropped off a kilometer shy of where i should have been dropped and i unloaded unknowing where i was heading. i picked my head up after slinging my slowly growing backpack across my shoulders to see the recently boarded Indian gentleman looking at me. Immediately he is my "best friend" wanting to know my name, where i am from, and the most important question "how long have you been in India." this question i have learned is a guide, on how bad you are about to be ripped off, i smiled, answered all the questions honestly except the last one, inflating the real date by a few months.
He smiled as he knew i had no clue where to go, i turned around to see my bastard rickshaw driver turn around and disappear, i looked back at my "friend" and he says "Shanti guest house right? i work there!" and he offers l to lead me to my hotel. quite typically the story would end here and i would allow him to lead me to my guest house or a completely different guest house all together with a similar name. At this point i would have walked passed many, sorted out the area while being led by a local and not being haggled by anyone else at which point i would pull the old "yeah..... i'm gunna go somewhere else" and slip out past him not to deal with the bullshit of a scam or what ever else they may want to sell, but NOT TODAY.
"Bullshit" i said "I highly doubt you work for Shanti Guest House," "why do you say that" he says with such a surprised tone in his voice, with out answering him i responded with a question for him. "what are you selling, where do you want me to go, and are we really heading towards Shanti Guest House?" "I just like to help tourists" he says, we are still briskly walking through the 80 degree heat and 90% humidity, weaving in between cars, scooters, bicycles, on coming pedestrians, peddle rickshaws, dogs, cows, farm animals and children selling post cards.
we squeezed into a back ally off the main road, it was wet, damp, smelling of urine, body odor, and cow shit mixed with a strangely pleasant aroma of fryed samosas, coal grilled flat breads, and Indian sweets. down the allies we walk, my eyes constantly fixed on 3 three things, first, my feet so i can attempt to avoid wet sticky piles of trash as well as the always pleasant pile of shit, Second, any potential hotels, guest houses, or hostels i'm passing just in case "my friend" leads me astray, and last the back of "my friends" head, for the ally was small but packed with early morning activity.
again, typically i would have allowed the conversation to end at "i like helping tourist" but today i felt like fighting a bit. "so whats your deal bro? everyone wants something, what are you after? there is no way you just like helping tourists, that is shit." he smiled "well i own a shop, will you come and see it after i take you to your hotel?" His voice started to fade the second his lips started to move, as he was talking into my deaf ear, my good ear facing the opposite direction i could bearly make out what he was saying. his voice was temporarily muted by aggressive beeping of a scooter horn which obnoxiously plowed through anybody and everybody standing in its way, this was followed by the beating of a drum and very loud chanting of a 20person procession which was headed straight for me.
"dead body" my "friend" tells me as a woman wrapped colored silk is carried on a bamboo stretcher, hoisted above my head and carried past me. "so where do you work" i said now that most of the noise and commotion has passed. "my shop! will you come see my shop after i take you to your guest house?" I smiled and laughed because i understood why he "just wanted to help tourists," commision on a sale. "Sure, was that so hard? i just wanted to know why you were leading me around." Again, typically i would have told him "NO," but after a long train ride i just wanted to get there, and by saying no i would have to find my own way my guesthouse or be at the mercy of where ever this guy wanted to drop me.
we kept walking as more noise was chasing me down the ally, more beating of drums and chanting, i stepped aside in this narrow 3 foot alleyway to allow another funeral procession pass me by. A few more allies, a flight of broken slate steps covered in trash, and i was there. I checked the name to make sure it was the one (which it was) i checked into my room, dropped my bag, and true to my word headed out to see "my friends"shop. A silk shop, what a surprise (that was extreme sarcasm), i looked at some items, bought nothing, smiled, thanked them for their time, and walked back to my guest house for a much needed shower.

India2009 Email

Wow, i never thought i would be returning to India. Exactly one year to date I landed back in the country that i began this crazy journey in. As my plane took off flying out of Sri Lanka north bound for Chennai, I closed my eyes to think about about my last Indian experience, the heat, humidity, poverty, and millions of people swarming the streets in Mumbai, the tropical monsoon i was engulfed in, in Goa, the extreme pushiness and haggling that went on in Agra, the baffling train travel that at one point led me to a locked door and an armed guard asking me to take my seat when clearly i had to wait for the train to stop to exit and move around the locked door to find my assigned car, i smiled when thinking about how impressionable i was at the time. Fresh out of New York, fresh out of the USA blazing a trail as fresh and new as the ancient countries i was visiting.
With my eyes still closed i thought a bit harder, overall remembering the confusion, the heat, the immense pollution, and the light, the light which was experienced in Delhi, staying with a friend, being led by my hand, and spoon fed India in tolerable doses. I opened my eyes and smiled again because i knew no matter what i experienced this time around i would always have Delhi and a friend to smile and laugh with about all the stupid things i may have stepped in while slowly meandering back to his home a year from the last time we met.

Less impressionable, a bit more weathered, and most of all ready for what i was getting into i stepped off the plane in India September 4th 2009 in Chennai, a new city, in a new part of India. I was heading to a chef's house, i had a meeting with a food journalist, as well as a tv/radio food personality, i had a restaurant opening/food tasting to go to, this was India far removed from what most people experience. I walk out of the Airport a bit cocky blowing past barking autorickshaw drivers offering ludicrous prices to the fresh meat that stumbled off the planes, bursting with perspiration the second they hit the humid Indian air. I walked straight for the local train, purchased my 5rupee ticket (10 cents) and was off to meet my contact.
Chennai was brilliant and the contacts that i had acquired made my time there as special and amazing as you would have expected it to be, meeting locals in the food industry, picking fellow chefs brains on local food and technique was something i was starved for and only teased with my last trip to India.

Chennai, Darjeeling, Sikkim, Varanasi, and Delhi were the cities and states that i visited this time around. My experiences all positive as i wandered the small but LOUD streets of Darjeeling high up in the tea country in the foothills of the Himalayas, heading farther north to the kingdom of Sikkim where a separate visa and stamp is needed (although it still remains part of India), a 25hr train to Varinasi a few days of wondering this mystical pilgrimage sight followed by one last 15hr train and a travel weary 8am hello to my good friends the Soni's as i returned a year from when i said good bye last.

After re-reading first email i posted on India I take nothing back. India is still a place of extremes, but for me my second time around was handled with much greater ease. Avoiding Mumbai and it's chaos is trend i think i will continue, wearing shoes and not flip flops to safe guard my feet from the leavings of many/any living creatures is another trend i particularly like, eating a huge plate of rice or a ton of bread before a long journey to assure no unnecessary visits to a bumpy, loud, wet, and smelly 50mph sleeper train squat toilet is NOT a trend, but a way of life.

My stronger, harsher feelings towards India have faded with time, my tolerance for this still confusing but mostly peaceful culture has increased but i attribute this only to the miles i have covered and the overly accepting life style i have forced my self to live. India for a new comer is no cup of tea, hearing stories of people leaving as quickly as they have arrived is not uncommon and doing India alone is even harder. A huge country filled with so many extremes in both geography of the land and sea to the people, cities, towns, and villages they live in. A country one must see first hand and will never understand by reading about it or seeing it on tv.

India 2009

Chennai: Landing back in Chennai and India after being away for a year was a nice treat. it was nice because unlike the last time, this time i knew what to expect. Chennai is definitely not a tourist city which is not to say that it is boring, but there is No major draw like Agra and the Taj Mahal, simply a city to live in and spending a week there was fantastic. My host whom i stayed with the Entire time writes online food journals and runs a small restaurant just few blocks from his home. Sharing the common ground for the love of food is was a pleasure to have stayed with Ramki, learning a bit more about Indian cuisine just by hearing him talk was fantastic, cruising on the back of his motorcycle to south Asia's largest fruit and vegetable market was also a fantastic experience.

While in Chennai I was also blessed with getting the opportunity to tag along with a food journalist for The Hindu, news paper. Going to a pre-opening Food Tasting at a new restaurant was a fantastic experience, talking to that chef one on one helped me understand cooking style a bit more. Getting the opportunity to cook and learn in a home setting with another Food Journalist from the Hindu was wonderful because it takes the stress away from being in an actual restaurant. Lastly, Shonali (my Hindu new paper friend) set me up with Chef Damu a Indian TV and Radio personality who runs two different cooking talk shows, an honor in it's self to have a one on one with him for a few hours. Chennai, not a tourist city, but a city this tourist really enjoyed.

Darjeeling: to reach Darjeeling you first must go to NJP or to Sunali which lies roughly 4hrs south by massive 10 seater toyota SUV's that look specifically designed for this exact purpose, of moving people with a fair amount of gear high in the Himalayas. The ride was interesting, switchback bumpy roads so littered with potholes you may as well consider it gravel and not paved at all, sheer drop offs which plummet 100s of feet straight to the valley floor, and the most reassuring part is the width of the road, in many places only as wide as one vehicle. my favorite part is seeing which one must back up and look for a place to pull over as two passing vehicles hug the side of the cliff and inch by each other.

The City its self is a touristy location which was highly developed by he British many years back, but has been thus "Indian-onized" with houses built on top of houses, sewers backing up, streets getting more and more narrow, tea plantation quality plummeting, and far too much noise and air pollution. Roaring, diesel, engines blowing past you spitting out black clouds from their exhaust pipes and the shrill of the horn piercing your ears and brain as suv after suv passes is something i will not miss. the surrounding beauty was on the other hand quite fantastic. Catching a glimpse of Everest one more time (off in the distance) during a Darjeeling Sun Rise was a beautiful sight, i get a funny feeling in my stomach upon seeing Everest, the mysticism of seeing the highest point on earth overtakes me with awe. Snow covered peaks jutting up over your head while neatly stacked tea plants speckle the landscape below you, Darjeeling was not all that bad.

Sikkim: Can be considered its own country in my eyes, a very "green" Indian state in both color but also in thinking. Mountains, hills, rice terraces, rolling glacial rivers which holds the 3rd highest peak in the world. A strong stance against plastic has been taken in Sikkim and road checks upon entering the state are fairly active in policing potentially harmful materials from entering into their relatively pristine and isolated portion of India. you will not find piles of garbage here, in fact garbage cans are quite easy to find happily painted with one simple note, "please use me." I spent a couple of lazy days here, driving around through the hills and taking short walks, this was a truly unique and beautiful state.

Varanasi: Can be a bit overwhelming as a first timer to India, with narrow streets that only humans, farm animals, push bikes, and motorcycles can fit down, you are safely removed from aggravating rickshaw drivers but over taken by a new nuisance of boat-men (who take you out on the Ganges) along with the usual suspects of shop keepers, silk dealers, and children who try to sell you literally anything. Pushing this nonsense aside it is a unique place, a pilgrimage sight to bath and cleanse your soul in the overly polluted Ganges river (which amazingly has no affect as i have seen on those who bath there). A boat ride out on the river is a touristy thing to do but the beauty of sunrise and the chance to see 1000's of devoted Hindus bathing this early in the morning is a must in my opionion.

Being a Holy place of cleansing it is also the main location to bring your dead, cremating them in public at mainly two "Ghats" which are docks on the side of the River Ganges. with fire burning 24hrs a day it is a experience that will stick with me for a while. Rarely is the experience a sad one, as Hindu's believe that this will release their loved ones soul into the next life, and the Ganges a life line to millions is THE place to be set free.

oh yeah, i also had a flash to a loction i have never been, Spain. i heard loud noise and turned around to see 4 huge cows being led by monstorouse bull with horns pointed straight for me. i stepped aside into shop fronts door step and laughed as i watched this chaos unfold. i glanced around to judge the reaction on the surrounding onlookers faces, nothing... just another day in varanasi.

Delhi: My final chance to drink in a little bit more of Indian food and culture, spending 4 days with Kerrun and his Mother in Delhi was again fantastic, relaxing in the comfort of their home, getting a much needed haircut and shave and preparing for the next leg of my trip. It was great to see them and reminisce with Kerrun about familiar grounds of Westchester New York and the foods we both miss and love from home..... mmmm, my mind wanders just typing that, with visions of NY delhi sandwiches dancing in my head, i'm happy to suppress that comfort of home for just a little bit longer.

India on round 2 was a much more comprehensible country one i enjoyed a bit more than expected.

Sri Lanka Email

I landed in Colombo and took local transport (buses) towards my guest house, the buss was empty to start, my 35lbs back pack sitting on my lap, my camera bag on top of that, it's still cool because it's the morning but as the sun creeps higher and the bus begins to fill the temperature starts to go up, and now i'm sweating. An hour and half of semi confusing travel and bus hoping, and i finally find my guest house right off Galle road which is a major hub in Colombo. Excited to see a bit of the city i walk around briefly in a bit of disappointment, and i don't know what i was expecting after nearly 30 years of militia bombing and aggression.

What i did see is the most heavily protected city that i have ever encountered. Men with AK-47, Uzzies, and Rocket Launchers sitting in bunkers at nearly every other major intersection, Armed Guards walking nearly every street and standing guard at most traffic lights. It was a definitely a scene out of a movie, but the best part was giving them a smile as you walk towards them because the big tough men who can end your life in a second with a semi automatic weapon in their hands nearly melt, responding with huge goofy grins as you pass them by.... priceless.

I rushed to the north to see the Rock fortrouse of Sigiryia which was a very impressing structure built on top of an enormous rock sitting in dryer plains of the north. Not being a huge History buff i dismissed the other ancient cities and caves which date back some years and headed straight for kandy, a beautiful mountain town. it was here that i discovered what i truly found special about Sri Lanka. The people are just so unbelievably kind, expressing my interest in food to one of the guest house owners, i was then helping cook a traditional Sri Lankan meal of String Hoppers, Chicken Curry, and Sambal, and potatos. Smashing chillies, toasting spices, frying off chicken only to stew it some more, squeezing citrus out of the orangey flavored limes into a freshly scraped coconut sambol was a pretty unique experience, doing it with old women in the traditional way was even better.

I found this to be the trend among the mountain towns i visited, each guest house, each restaurant being ever so willing to let me into their kitchen to cook and learn. In Ella i found my self with red beetroot stained hands cutting up the vegetable to make a curry (beet curry sounds gross i know, but it's pretty freakin' good). I look up from the cutting board to see a costumer walking through the kitchen, mutter something in Sri Lankan and wander away baffled by my presence in the kitchen. Twenty minutes later i return to see him eating the dish i was just preparing, again a unique experience.

Wondering the mountains, riding on unbelievably overcrowded trains and climbing up one of the tallest peaks in Tea country was a great time, i could have taken my time and spent way more than 10 days slowly wondering around in different towns, but i wanted to do some beach time before anxiety levels rise and the reality of India is upon me. 4 days soakin' up the sun (and rain) in Unawatuna was more than enough for me, visiting fishing villages, seeing the iconic stilt fisherman of Sri Lanka, buying freshly caught tuna from the market and bringing it to a local restaurant to be cooked was all part some great days I had down in the south.

One more overcrowded train back to Colombo, and i treated my self to a nice meal at the Hilton at one of their prized restaurants who serves up Sri Lankan Cuisine with the freshest ingredients, i happened to mention to the chef as he strolled by that I too work in the kitchen and from that point on the food never stoped coming. It was a delicious way to celebrate One Year On the Road, what a trip it's been.

Sri Lanka

Colombo: Although it's the capital with nearly 2 million people living there, it was not really the eppicenter of Sri Lankan Cusine i was hoping to see. I imagined it more like Bangkok with food spewing out of every allyway and onto the streets, not so much. Infact it was a bit difficult to find the good local eats, the main street Galle Rd. which was apparently the Center piece of Colombo was not all that impressive, granted I only gave it two days, but on my next trip to Sri Lanka will consider skiping it all together and head straight to the Mountains. I did how ever have one overly plesent experience where on my last night in Sri Lanka i treated my self to an all you can eat Sri Lanka feast at the Hilton which was fantastic. I happened to mention to the a chef who was assisting customers with Selecting Sea Food that I too cooked for a living and from that point on the Food did not stop. Plates began building up at my table and my stomach began to expand to a point where i thought i was going to pop. Curries, grilled fresh sea food, assorted pickels, grilled bread, fryed bread, salads, ritas, hoppers, and finally desert, Colombo didn't impress me but the Hilton was a fine way to end my trip in Sri Lanka.

Sigaria: the Rock Fortouse build ontop of a monsterouse rock in the center of the country, surrounded by plains. It rises straight out of the ground and climbing to the top proved to be a bit tougher than expected (probably more due to the fact that i'm out of shape). It was an impressive piece of acrchitecture to be seen, impressive because it is absolutly baffeling on how people got rocks and stones up to the top of this monstrouse rock. better yet, how the hell did they get up with out metal stair bolted into the side of the cliff. it was a long days drive going from colombo to Sigarya and then back to Kandy. NOt much to do there but climb the rock, but a good experience none the less.

Kandy: a semi lively mountain town which is the center of the Hill country, The Town Center is clearly "lake Kandy," guest houses, homes, all sparcly scattered in the surrounding hills with the majority of the town sitting on the east west side of the lake. My guest house Lake Bungallow, perched on a hill, overlooking the lake and town was a great place to relax and take in this more palatable city. Unlike Colombo, Kady was easy to navagate, cooler in climate, and more relaxed. The owners of my guest house were extremely kind and again upon mentioning that i love to cook they were overly happy to take me into their kitchen and show me how to make some local cusine. String Hoppers, Chicken Curry, Milk Rice, Dahl, Potato Curry and a spicy Coconut Sambal was on the menu and it was fantastic to crank out a meal like this with a couple of old women doing the way they have for years.

Adams Peak and the Surrounding Areas: About 4hours south of Kandy on a crouded bus was the city of Hatton, the approach to Hatton was unreal, somthing out of a fictiouse magaizine advertising fantacy proporties. the homes were modest, straight out of colonial times, but the landscape was somthing i have never seen before. the hills were covered in Tea plants and this was just the begining. the drive from Hatton to Adams peak was even more impressive, the Tea filled hills were absolutel beautiful, and to say that they were delacatly placed would be an understatement. the hills were litteraly carved into perfectly cylidrical shapes, with tea plants spirling around them was a sight to be seen. the Mountains and Resivour with waterfalls spewing into the valley didn't make the view all that Ugly at all, infact it was a breath taking. Even if you are not going to climb adams peak, at least get you self out to Dolhousie for the bus ride and sights alone, really an unbelievably beautiful part of the world.
Adams peak it's self was incased in clouds and i was privlaged to see what the inside of a cloud looks like first hand. not too impressive, but the 2hr hike would have been well worth the view if the clouds parted. i would do it again in a heartbeat.

Train Travel: all though my first trip on the train brought nothing but back pain and minimal view or obstructed views with 5 to 6 children jamming their heads out the window drinking in the sights, i wouldn't say that you should neglect this mode of transportation. infact even with the backpain and long cramped hours it was semi enjoyable in a wierd way. I unfortuantly have been traveling during "school holiday" and all the kids are out thus jammin' up the busses and trains, which have been a cramped nightmare from time to time.
My suggestion would be find the starting point of the train and really for most tourists there are only 4 major points you will use (colombo, Matara, Kandy, and Badula), so get to one of those stations and book a second class ticket and plop your self in a window seat and enjoy the views (long distance, no more than 400rp or $4usd), when i finaly got a seat, i absolutly loved the train.

Haputale: A small mountain town which is about 25min. from the Lipton Tea Factory set up in the 1800's by Sir Thomas Lipton. a 2 hour hike to the top of the mountain was another rigourouse hike which left me with the view of the inside of a cloud, but at least i did the assent in day light unlike adams peak which i began hiking at 2:30am in order to catch a non exisistant sunrise. The climb up through the tea plantations was the highlight of Haputale, the 23 person, 800lbs of vegtables, and a vomitting baby packed in a 12 person minivan on my way back from the plantation took a distant second place to wondering th rough the green tea filled hills.

Ella: Touristy is a wierd way, a nothing town in the middle of know where, all there is to do is hike "little adams peak" which i did and came no where near the stress and exauhtion of climbing it's much larger brother. the views where great since i saw nothing at Adams peak, i spent 3 days here doing... well... nothing. i cooked for a full day with my guest house owner learning some new sri lankan dishes and talking food, for me, this made Ella a amazing place to stay, chill, relaxing, cooler in climate, good tea and coffe, and overly friendly people.

Tangalla: a very quite beach town in the southern part of the island. this area got hit HARD by the Tsunami of 04' and was litterally destroyed, almost everything on the coast was whipped out. even to this day what has been rebuilt looks as it could have been there through out the disastar because the glits and glam that some places put on for tourists just didn't exist. i'm not one who needs ANYTHING fancy, but to me the town was a bit depressing. One night in my damp, mildewy, over priced guest house and i was OUT. on the up side, beautiful beach with NO ONE on it, very quite, but as a solo traveler a bit too quite.

Unawatuna: A touristy area for sure, one that i may not be visiting if it was peak season, but with prices down, tourists at a minimum, and locals all about, the town has a pretty nice vibe to it, i spent 5 days here, between the beach, cooking with a local restaurant, buying fish at a local market and cooking it, cruising around to see the iconic "stilt fisherman"of sri lanka in Koggala, and renting a scooter for the day, i had enough to do to keep myself occupied.

Overall i really loved Sri Lanka, if i had to say there was one thing that would bring me back, it's the people and rawness of the country. Still minimaly effected by tourism and true to it's culture, the people there were overly plesant to talk to and share a cup of tea with.

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