Last night in Instanbul Marshall and I said our good-byes to our travel buddies, Megan and Monica (5 weeks together!) and clambered into a sleeper train headed towards Thessaloniki where we are currently waiting for another train to take us to Athens. We discovered that the Athens airport is ranked as one of the best airports in the world to sleep in so we have decided to camp out there until our 11:30 flight to NYC tomorrow (the 4th).
This trip has been nothing short of amazing and life-changing. Almost everyday of the last two months has been EPIC! And I can't believe how much I've learned about:
-cultures/lifestyles
-religions
-foods/drinks
-art
-history
-current events
-my travel buddies
-myself
-traveling in general
I hate to admit this but before coming to the East I didn't even know lots of this 'stuff' even existed. It was shocking to see ways of life I didn't even fathom. My brain is about full.
I'm glad we didn't listen to the numerous warnings about the 'dangers' we might encounter and nix the trip. Sure there were culture shocks, hard times, and frustrating parts but all a piece of the journey (the only time we were in true danger was during transportation...the drivers are INSANE!). The Middle East is such a fascinating, complex, and rewarding travel destination. Numerous civilizations of antiquity rose and fell here over the last 4000 years and 3 monotheistic religions were born in this area. It was crazy to see Judaism, Christianity and Islam overlap time and time again.
Top 15 favorite ruins/museums (I can't decide exact orders and I know I'm forgetting something...)
-Valley of the Kings, Egypt
-Crac de Chevaliers, Syria
-Derinkuyu, Turkey (underground city)
-Palmyra, Syria
-Temples of Karnak, Egypt
-Topkapi Palace, Turkey
-Petra, Jordan
-Turkish and Islamic Art Museum, Turkey
-Goreme Open Air Museum, Turkey
-Nubian Museum, Egypt
-Palamidi Fortress, Greece
-Jerash, Jordan
-Pyramids, Jordan
-Egyptian Museum, Egypt
-Parthenon and Acropolis, Greece
Top 10 Religious Sites:
1) Aya Sofya, Turkey
2) Umayyad Mosque, Syria
3) Blue Mosque, Turkey
4) Sayyida Ruqayya Mosque, Syria
5) St. Katherine's Monastery, Egypt
6) Aaron's Tomb, Jordan
7) Gumusley Monastery, Turkey
8) Church of the Apostles, Jordan
9) Temple of Bel, Syria
10) Al-Azhar Mosque, Egypt
Top 11 Adventures/Excursions
1) White Desert Camping, Egypt
2) Riding a Camel to a Nubian Village across the Saharan Desert at sunset, Egypt
3) Floating in the Dead Sea, Jordan
4) Snorkeling in the Red Sea, Jordan
5) Wadi Rum Camping, Jordan
6) Hiking up Mt. Sinai to see the sunset, Egpyt
7) Aleppo's Souq, Syria
8) Taking a Turkish Bath (Hammam), Syria
9) Felucca ride up the Nile, Epypt
10) Hiking in the Love Valley, Cappadocia Turkey
11) Walking the street of the Tent Makers in Cairo, Egypt
2 months is a loooong time to travel. Marshall and I have covered upwards of 6000 km during this time and have not stayed in one place longer than 3 nights. It's time to come home. I'm sure my family and friends are excited to see photos...all 1600 hundred of them :) We are truly looking forward to seeing everybody SOON!
