After my expensive adventure the night before, I needed to tighten up my budget for a few days. I decided that it was going to be a self guided tour of Asia on the shoe leather express. Luckily, in Istanbul, Asia is just across the strait of Bosporus, a metro train stop away from Europe. I popped up out of the metro…
You’ve Got A Friend
The rains stopped finally and I decided to go out for a stroll. I saw an tiny Irish Pub over in the tourist section of town so I thought I would try and find it again. If I didn’t, at least I would get some exercise in. I was minding my business as I usually do when I am take…
Istanbul
I woke up to a gloomy day but yesterday’s rain had rolled through. The first order of business was the free hot breakfast. And to their credit, it did not include “make your own” waffles common in the US. There were eggs and meat and potatoes and sweets. I could have sat there all day, watching the ferries cross the…
No, He Never Returned
Out of India and already feeling better. A long layover in Abu Dhabi. I was tempted to head into town but didn’t want to deal with Passport control and Security Screening in a Middle East country. It was a nice airport but as I expected for priced towards the Sheik class rather than the $9 a night hostel class. Next…
Train Kept A Rollin
As I have grown to expect, no good hostel is very far from a travel agent. Varanasi was no exception. I walked 12 feet across the alley into a closet of a travel agency. I could tell I was getting tired of the road, I still had a month on my Visa and I was not even tempted by the…
Burnin’ For You
The overnight bus arrived in Varanasi just as the night was giving way to day. As expected, I was not well rested. I was hoping daylight would give me enough energy to get to a hostel to rest up but the grayness of sunrise through the fog had the exact opposite effect. Varanasi is a city of just over a…
Taj Mahal
The Drive from Jaipur to Agra was about as interesting as Interstate 70 through Kansas. Another rest break at the overpriced gift shop/restaurant only seemed to prolong the boredom. After about 6 hours, we rolled in through the seedier side of Agra. My driver made countless turns through the city on the way to the hotel and I thought maybe…
Eating These Purple Berries
I didn’t really have a set timeframe to leave Goa. My hotel room reservation was up and I just couldn’t think of a reason to stick around any longer. So far, my India experience has only been here and the Delhi Airport. Not really the immersive experience that one needs to say they have been to India. India is huge…
You Dont know How Lucky You Are Boy
On one of my last nights in Pokhara, Nepal, I came across a free showing of the recent Beatles themed movie “Yesterday”. A charming and really engaging little movie about the entire world shifting to a plane where the Beatles never existed. except for one guy who proceeds to reintroduce the world to their music by him taking credit for…
One Hit To The Body
After the Mardi Himal trek, it was about 3 days before I could even step up a street curb without my calves and thighs feeling like they were on fire. My level of activity was limited to eating and waiting for sunset at one of the lakeside restaurant shacks. My immobility was a perfect time to fill out the needlessly…