Political Capital

Days 443-444, February 13 – 14, 2012

The Australian Capital of Canberra is not really a tourist hot spot. It’s not near any beaches, and the city itself isn’t laid out in a very helpful manner. And beyond the Parliament and typical Capital City monuments to wars past, there’s not much to see. And with so few touristy things in the city, affordable places to stay are few and far between.

But that’s not to say, that in-between the consular work I had to do, that I didn’t enjoy myself. In fact, I found the full day there to be quite illuminating in a couple aspects.

Going Down in Koh Tao

Days 404-411, January 5-12, 2012

It’s funny how things can change in a hurry. When I was thinking about Thailand, I pictured myself spending week upon week on white sand beaches, hopping on ferries to the next out of the way island to bask(or bake as it were) in the sun. As it turns out, I got none of that, and completely on purpose. Besides the little stint on Koh Samet back in September, Koh Tao was going to be my only other Thai island. And for me, it was strictly business. I was going for my Dive certification.

The Minority Villages of Sapa

Besides Ha Long Bay, Hanoi is a great jumping off point to explore the highlands around Sapa. Every hotel and hostel and guesthouse in the capital city are falling over each other to sell you tours to both these places. And while it could be argued that to really see Ha Long Bay with ease, one must go with a tour, Sapa can just as easily be done while on your own as on a tour. I opted to go for a tour as I was unsure of the ease of doing a homestay in the villages surrounding Sapa town on my own. And the homestay is essential I think to really get a feel for the area, and to see even more than you would.

Straddling the Continents in Istanbul

Days 286-291, September 9-14, 2011

My last official stop in Europe. It was an odd feeling on that 24+ hour train ride from Bucharest to Istanbul. Part of me was sad to be so close to the end of this portion of my trip. Another part was excited with the prospect of new cultures and experiences that were surely to come. Istanbul was going to be a great way to ease into the culture shock as the city itself spans two continents; the only city in the world to do so.

Getting into Turkey was a breeze, though for Canadians it can be a ugly little dent to the wallet. Of all countries, Canada has to pay the most for their Visa, which can be purchased on arrival both at the airport or any land border crossing. The cost: US$60. And they only accept American Dollars or Euros. The train border crossing I went through at 3 in the morning was super easy. Stand in one line, get your visa sticker in your passport. Stand in the next line to get stamped into Turkey. Done and done.

I’m Going to be Famous! [In Romania]

Day 276-278,283-285, August 30-31/September 6-8, 2011

I’m not sure what it was that caused my change of mood between Belgrade and Bucharest. All I know is that when I woke up on the train as it pulled into the Bucharest train station, I was suddenly excited about traveling again. I still had no plans beyond seeing the Romanian capital city, and yet I felt a renewed sense of joy in what I was doing.

In my time in Romania, Bucharest became one of the few cities on my trip that I’ve visited more than once. First when I came from Belgrade, and again when I came back from the Carpathian Mountains. And both times can be connected with a single connection: being interviewed by a Romanian news magazine. In fact, the biggest and most popular news magazine(both on and off line) in the entire country.

A Hiker’s Dream City

Days 242-248, July 27-August 2, 2011

Banja Luka, my destination upon leaving Sarajevo, is a nice, quiet city but because of extreme laziness while there, there is not much I can say about it. I won’t take all the blame either, as the few places that are big tourist draws in the city, namely the castle, were closed to the public unless you had a ticket for the large independent band festival happening that week. So, unfortunately for the city, it really only gets this little introductory paragraph on my journey. I was on my way to Zagreb after only two nights in Banja Luka so didn’t get the chance to do some of the things that are available outside the city(like river rafting and rock climbing).

My loss, that’s for sure.

Finding Šibenik and Krka

Days 225-227, July 10-12, 2011

Having done some research while in Split, I decided to head up north a ways to the tiny city of Šibenik. This small city is where one goes to check out the nearby Krka National Park, one of the most beautiful in all of Croatia, second only to Plitvice Lakes National Park. Having seen photos of the park, I knew I had to see it in person.

Rome 2–Without Kelly

The following takes place on Days 216-219, July 1-4, 2011

The morning of Canada Day I joined Kelly on her trek to the train station to catch the express train to the Rome International Airport. It was a bit bittersweet to see her go. I think she did mention that she was ready to head home and back to work. We got to the train station and sprinted over the moving walkways to the far end of the station where her train was waiting. With a quick hug goodbye she bounded up the steps and onto the train.

I was alone once again.

Brief Affairs

The following takes place on Days 211-213, June 26-28, 2011

After a surprisingly deep sleep on the deck of the ferry, we awoke to the sounds of the overly cheerful British lady on the loudspeaker telling the passengers “Ladies and Gentlemen. We would like to kindly tell you that the a la carte and the self service restaurant are now open. Enjoy your breakfast.” It was early in the morning, probably around 6am. Within an hour we were slowing down as we entered the waters of Venice, Italy.

I didn’t realize just how small the city was. From the ship, we could see to the other side of the islands that made up the city of Venice. When I think of cities in Europe and Italy, I always imagine large swaths of urban landscaping. Now so with Venice. It is a very condensed city. It is connected to the mainland by a long bridge. Mind you, there are a number of communities right on the mainland that one could consider a part of Venice, but that would be the same as saying Oshawa is a part of Toronto.

Delightful Dahab

The following takes place on Days 193-197, June 8-12, 2011

For Mick, Arnold, and I, the next day was fairly uneventful. As Vitaly and Ying had left the night before and with no actual tour for us, we had the day completely free. We took the opportunity to walk to the Luxor Museum to check that out as it hadn’t been on the itinerary for our tour. Finding it turned into a bit of a challenge as the road it was on was currently under construction/repair so it deceived us into thinking we couldn’t walk that way. Added a good half hour to our search.

When we did find it and went inside we were all pleasantly surprised. Sure, it was a bit smaller than the museum in Cairo(and more expensive), but it had a semblance of order. All the pieces were in their place with placards explaining their significance. It even had the mummy that had been rediscovered in a Niagara Falls museums back room.

We spent a good few hours there before heading back to the hotel where we spent the rest of the day by the hotel pool, with me meeting a family from England who gave me a few beers for free. Before we knew it though it was time to head to the train station. Arnold had the sitting train back which left half an hour before the sleeper train that Mick and I would be on.

Democracy’s birth, Temple’s legacy

The following takes place on Days 188-189, June 3-4, 2011


One of the more interesting side notes that Israa had mentioned was that the revolutionary protests still happen on Friday’s.While not as large as the ones that initially sparked the full out revolution, the protests still draw large crowds of people who are keeping the pressure on the military leadership and to help promote the dozens of newly cropped up political parties. Coming from Canada, where political apathy has reached an unbearable high and the idea of actually being thrilled to have a say in your government is about as exciting a prospect as watching paint dry, I was excited to see the revolution taking place. To finally see a group of people excited to have a democracy and demanding a say.
Canada can certainly learn a few lessons.

From Hippy to Revolutionary

The following takes place between days 184-186, May 30 – June 1, 2011

Even though I still felt queasy and tired from the food poisoning, I still managed to get up and leave the hostel in Essouira in time to catch my bus that would begin probably not so much the longest travel day of the trip, but certainly the one with the most connections and distance. 

It started off with a bus from Essaouira to Marrakech where I would switch to a train for Casablanca. As the Casablanca airport is so far out of the city, I would then need to take a separate train from Casablanca back out of the city to the airport. Considering I had at least 7 hours to wait for my flight, I initially thought I could store my luggage at the Casablanca train station or something and run off to see the 3rd largest Mosque in the world, and also one of only two in the country that allows non-Muslims to visit.

Sometimes, though, things don’t necessarily turn out the way one plans.