We are now 900 nautical miles from our next port of call: Norfolk, VA. I can’t say with clarity how I feel. On one hand, I am excited to drive my truck, eat TexMex food, watch football, see family and friends, play with my dog, and move into the new apartment. On the other I am going to miss my friends incredibly, will miss my food and bed being made for me everyday, and the experience Semester at Sea has given me. I think if they play Vitamin C – Graduation on the last day half to 3/4 of the ship will cry. The ending will be very bittersweet.

Tomorrow is reflection day. I don’t feel like waiting till tomorrow so I’ll write a few of the things I personally have learned (or had reinforced) on this voyage:

1. People are not as different as you think
2. Toilet paper is the best invention ever made
3. Street food in Istanbul WILL MAKE YOU SICK
4. Sea sickness fades
5. People are different: some stay in, some go out, some pray, some drink till they can’t stand, some sleep, some abuse caffeine. Most procrastinate
6. The U.S. IS the good life. We use 25% of the world’s resources despite being 5% of the population. I will not take this for granted
7. Pasta and potatoes make you fat
8. Cameras break when dropped in sand. And in the Adriatic Sea
9. Moroccan monkeys sitting on your head is NOT as cool as it sounds
10. Writing an 8-page paper is nothing compared to a 30-page paper. Both have to be written in two days
11. Full-sleeve Henna tattoos can be done in less than a minute, with or without your consent
12. Haggling is fun
13. Turbans really do keep your head cool
14. Camels smell and are 9 feet tall
15. Don’t drink the Absinthe. Or the Ouzo. Or the Raki.
16. The dollar is the red-headed step-cousin of the Euro
17. I am extremely proud of my country
18. And of my president, no matter who he is
19. Most of the world speaks English
20. Egyptian taxi drivers can smoke absurd amounts of hookah
21. I still don’t like the techno … but I respect the techno
22. Siestas are the best cultural invention ever
23. Snake charmers are really a bunch of guys yelling and harassing snakes
24. Shaq would not fit in the Pyramids
25. Driving laws such as: wearing a seat belt, stopping at a stop sign, stopping at a red light, using driving lanes, obeying the speed limit, stopping for women and children? … Solely an American thing
26. Egyptians LOVE Kenny G
27. Foreigners immediately assume you’re John Wayne if you’re from Texas. Anything else is completely unacceptable
28. Yes I ride my horse to school, his name is Pancho
29. Most people are friendly
30. European public transportation is excellent, par none
31. Gyros are great at any time of the day
32. The Sistene chapel has a professional “Shhh’er”. Still confused on what that promotion would be
33. There is a bath tub in the world that costs $300 million dollars
34. The Pope gives mass in English
35. I love Barcelona
36. The more you stick out, the more you are prejudiced against
37. A beer exists that is sold in 2-liter plastic bottles. It costs 1 USD and is actually quite good
38. Picasso had a lot of time on his hands
39. Bulgarian and Croatian women are beautiful
40. I wish I could live in Dubrovnik

Home in three days.

- Austin

Hard to believe that this voyage is nearing completion. In just two weeks, Austin will be flying home to Texas where he will have just a few days to move before classes begin at UT on August 26. Wondering if we’ll even have time for dinner together before he’s gone again. Meanwhile back at the ship …

According to the SAS website: “The 99th SAS voyage has arrived to the port of Casablanca, Morocco” and according to my calendar, Austin should be on a camel somewhere in the Sahara desert on a 4-day, 3-night trek. This particular trip was one that he was looking the most forward to prior to the voyage. Will be anxious to hear how a Longhorn fares on a camel.

MARRAKECH & CAMEL TREK IN THE SAHARA

(4 days/3 nights) (1000 Sunday, 09 August – 1700 Wednesday, 12 August)

In addition to exploring Marrakech, this trip includes a visit to the Drâa Valley in the Sahara region. Ouarzazate lies at the confluence of three important oasis valley systems:  the Ouarzazate, Dadès and Drâa.  As one travels southeast from Ouarzazate to Zagora, the contrast of bare, sun-baked rock with the lush green of the palm groves forms some beautiful scenery. A labyrinth of irrigation channels feeds the fertile, palm-shaded terraces of farmland in the Drâa Valley. Dates are the primary commercial crop, and the best eating dates are found in Zagora. The Drâa Valley has always been strongly influenced by and interlinked with the destiny of the surrounding nomadic tribes. It has served as a steppingstone for Saharan explorations since the 10th century. Your experience in the Sahara will include an overnight in a nomad camp and a camel trek into the desert.

ITINERARY:

Day 1: Depart by minibus to Marrakech (3-4 hours). Upon arrival, enjoy some free time to explore the city. This  evening enjoy a Moroccan dinner with a folklore show and horse fantasia at Chez Ali.  (Area hotel)

Day 2: Travel to Zagora (7-8 hours, not including stops) in the magnificent Drâa Valley.  A lunch stop will be made in Ouarzazate where you will have a tremendous view of the Saharan world including its dunes, oases and small mud villages.  Later enjoy dinner in a nomad tent before settling into camp for the night.  (Camp)

Day 3: This morning, venture into the Sahara Desert on an early morning mehari (camel trek) with nomads. Enjoy a last mint tea in the desert before returning to Marrakech.  The late afternoon and evening are free to explore the famous Djemaa el-Fna Square and other sites. Dinner is on your own.  (Area hotel)

Day 4: Enjoy Marrakech on your own until you depart for your return by minibus to Casablanca. Please Note:  Participants should bring towels, a sleeping bag and warm or layered clothing for the evening.

The past two days on the boat have been full of SAS events. Two days ago we had an auction of donated items from the ship. The auction had items that ranged from a hunting trip in Mississippi to a 7-day all expense trip paid trip to Pakistan (flight not included, sold to two people for 2500 a piece). We ended up raising almost 25,000 dollars that will go towards scholarships for future students.

We also had a crew talent show and casino night. The crew talent show was hilarious, highlighted by a slightlly disturbing act: One housecleaning male dressed in a nun costume finger painting Jesus while dancing.

As we approach our final port, everyone asks: Which country was your favorite? I find it hard to answer. When you visit the biggest sites of each country and only have 4-5 days in each port, every port is amazing. If I was forced to pick:

1. Favorite port: Croatia or Turkey
2. Least favorite port: Bulgaria
3. Country most likely to visit again: Spain
4. Best experience: Horse race in Sienna
5. Best SAS planned experience: Tie, Wine Tasting in Cadiz or Extended Cairo Trip
6. Best Party Place: Mykonos, Greece
7. Most historic: Egypt
8. Cheapest port: Egypt
9. Most expensive port: Italy

It is interesting to note that the areas I felt most unsafe were in Italy and Spain. I also found the people the most unfriendly towards Americans there. Not what I expected, especially in Egypt.

Looking forward to Morocco!

- Austin

We are sadly leaving Alexandria and headed to Casablanca, Morocco. Egypt was a blast! We had five days in the country, and I spent days 1 and 5 exploring Alexandria and days 2-4 on SAS Trip EGY 12: Extended Cairo trip.

My first culture shock came when we arrived into the port of Alexandria. EVERYONE who is selling something is very aggressive, almost comically so. When you have USD, you become everyone’s becomes your friend. We were met with a taxi driver named Rafta, who sold us on a taxi ride with him for 2 USD an hour. As Wade, Robby, Dustin, and I hopped into the taxi we were hesitant because the taxi looked like it was built in the 1960’s and driving in Egypt is a trip. However, Rafta had a book signed with old SAS’ers who had rode with him before and wrote great about him. He ended up taking us around for EIGHT hours, taking us to see the new Library of Alexandria, Pompei’s Pillar, the beaches, the Roman Theater, the Bazaar, the Egyptian Catacombs, the palace of the Pharaoh, and even a bar where he sat with us while we grabbed some food. I honestly feel like I have nothing left to see in Alexandria and really enjoyed the experience and culture of riding around with a local guide. We also ate at this awesome restaurant that was essentially a 5-course meal for 8 USD. The exchange rate of 5.5 to 1 is great.

The next day I woke up early and headed on the SAS trip to Cairo and Giza. Our first stop was in the Archeological Musuem of Cairo. For having 4000 years of history and all of the treasure’s of King Tut’s tomb I was relatively unimpressed with the building overall condition. Our tour guide explained why the building was so run down: “The owners are crooks. They keep all the money to themselves instead of putting it back into the building”. It was sad to see such great pieces of history not preserved as well as they could be. Anyways we saw King Tut’s treasure, sarchopagi, and a whole lot of statues. Afterwards we took a tour through the city of Cairo, which has a population of 20 million people. It was a stark contrast of wealth and poverty. 90% of the population lives in poverty while 10% lives in extreme wealth. Also, it was interesting to see all the half completed buildings. In Egypt if you have a building that is not finished you do not pay taxes on the land. Thus everyone lives in halfway finished exteriors with fully furnished interiors. We checked into our hotel, which was guarded with armed guards, security checkpoints, dogs, and metal detectors. It was weird though because in the city and around the city I never, ever felt unsafe. The hotel was awesome, a 5 star hotel in the middle of Cairo. We went to a light show at the pyramids and the Sphinx that night in Giza. Pictures to come.

The next morning we woke up at 4:30am to head to Giza to watch the sunset over the pyramids. After taking a ton of pictures, Chase, Clark, Chris, and I took a 30-minute trek to the smallest of the three pyramids (which was still big). The most odd feeling was walking up to the pyramids, because in the desert the pyramids appear to move away as you get closer due to their size. We hiked back to ride our camels, which are like 9 feet tall and make ridiculous noises. As a teacher put it “It sounds like wookies from Star Wars”. Mine was named “Whiskey, no coke”. Egyptians are actually quite funny. After our camels tried to fight each other and one rubbed snot all over Molly, we hopped off and headed down to the Pyramids which were about a mile away from where we were situated. We got to venture inside the Pyramids through a small tunnel that was roughly 5 ft tall and very, very hot.

Afterwards I walked around and talked to some of the vendors who tried to sell me everything under the sun about Obama. Everyone I spoke with loved Obama and were very proud that he had visited their country. One even said “You are much safer with me now that your president is Obama”. I was both shocked and slightly defensive. I would support my president no matter who he was and I did not like the passive/aggressive nature of their comments. I did remind myself that its part of the experience and culture of the country. I did enjoy talking with some of the locals about their experiences of Egypt. It is nothing like I pictured the Middle East and Africa.

Afterwards we ate lunch at a nice hotel and rested till 7. At 7 we took a boat cruise of the Nile, complete with belly dancers, live music, and twirling guys with skirts. Apparently the guys would bring the girls under their skirts and ask for a kiss from the girls. It was funny to see their reactions coming out from in the twirling skirt thing.  We ended up turning it into a big party and cruising down the Nile was beautiful. Afterwards we went out and explored the Marriot, which was quite possibly the biggest hotel I have ever seen. It took ten minutes just to cross to each side and it was filled with casinos, bars, and pools. Very fun.

The next morning we spent the day at the Sphinx, some ruins and tombs that were really cool, and saw a lot of the villages. One of the best and worst things about SAS is you see so much. In relative scope to the Pyramids, some ruins in the desert do not share the same mystique, even though most of them are two to three thousand years old. This makes explaining some of the things we have seen difficult. I don’t know the names or history of what I saw but I know it is really special.

Despite this, I know I am changed in how I view the world. Travel news of Turkey, Spain, Italy, and Crotia interests me now. I feel like I am connected to the people of the cities I have visited. It changes you when you talk to the locals. I really enjoyed chatting with a guy named Mike in Cairo, who lives in Cairo but had served in the US Navy for 17 years. I look forward to emailing him when I get home about his persepctive on American affairs from both a military and outside perspective (if that makes sense).

Back in Alexandria we woke up late and ended up meeting up with Rafta again! He took us to go shop at a large mall about 15 minutes away from the ship. He was very helpful “Do not pay more than 10 pounds for this!”. We came back to the ship early after purchasing some soccer jerseys, eating some McDonald’s in the mall (it sucked), and explorng a big Walmart-ish store. I have tried to eat McDonald’s in every country to see the difference among cultures. For the most part it is consistent except in Egypt. In Bulgaria it was extremely expensive. It was refreshing to be in a more familiar setting of a big mall, something we haven’t been used to lately in the trip. There was Starbucks, Hardees, Addidas, Radio Shack, Cinnabon, Chili’s, and many more stores that we were familiar with. One of the lifelong learners on the ship has told me she thinks that with globalization, many cultures are eroding. I think that the fact that I have been able to get a Quarter Pounder in every country is testament to that.

Anyways I know this post is ridiculously long, and if you made it through my tangents and stories then I am thankful to you (and impressed, I’m not that great of a writer). It absolutely shocks me that in t minus 19 days, we will be docking in Virginia. I think it will be a very sad and happy ending to a wonderful trip.

Casablanca is next, I will be taking a Camel Trek trip in Casablance and Marrakech. If you want to read more about it, I’ve included it below. Looking forward to hearing from you all, I can be reached at ajwalsh@semesteratsea.net.

- Austin

P.S. Almost all of us on this trip have become obsessed with soccer. It’s on just about every channel. I am absolutely 100% determined to get to the World Cup in Cape Town next summer. We’ve met Swiss, Egyptian, and Italian locals who expect to meet us there. I’m excited to watch soccer back home.

Alexandria, Egypt is the port that I have been most looking forward to since I first applied for Semester at Sea. We will spend the first day in Alexandria independently, and I plan to check out the market and the lighthouse of Alexandria. Days 2 – 4 will be spent on an SAS trip, EGY12: Cairo Extended Trip. Here is the description:

Day 1: Depart from the pier by air conditioned, motorcoach for a journey through desert scenery reaching the outskirts of Africa’s largest city, the legendary Al Qahira, internationally known as the teeming metropolis of Cairo. A guide will provide the history and culture of a timeless land, on a journey lasting approximately three hours. Upon arrival in Cairo, travel to Tahrir (Liberty) Square, the heart of downtown, where the National Archaeological Museum is situated. Here you will have the opportunity to acquaint yourself with Egypt’s ancient history spanning a period of 50 centuries. The museum houses the richest collection of Egyptian antiquities, including the magnificent Tut Ankh Amun collection. Continue to the hotel for lunch and check-in formalities. In the evening attend the English version of the “Son et Lumiere” at the Giza Plateau. This Sound-and-Light performance brings the history and achievements of the ancient Egyptians to life as the illuminated Pyramids and the mysterious Sphinx dominate the surrounding darkness. After the show, proceed to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Early risers will be transferred to the Giza Plateau for a chance to view the Great Pyramids at sunrise while enjoying a breakfast from the hotel. For those not participating, breakfast will be offered at the hotel. After check-out at the hotel, proceed to the Giza Plateau where the only remaining Wonder of the Ancient World is found, the imposing Pyramids of Giza. During the visit to the Pyramids there will be time for unique photo opportunities of the three Pyramids from the Western Plateau. Free time will be allocated at the Pyramids to explore and enjoy the site. Continue down the valley where the guardian of this mortuary complex, the mighty Sphinx, bears witness to the passage of time and man in eons of silence. A drive on the New Ring Road leads to the Citadel of Saladin where panoramic views of the city of Cairo can be seen. Driving through the “City of the Dead” towards the Citadel, the architectural forms and twilight feeling exuded by the surroundings will capture your imagination. At the Citadel, visit the Alabaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali, the founder of modern Egypt. Lunch will be served afterwards at a leading venue in Cairo followed by a visit to the exotic and colorful Khan El Khalili Bazaar. The bazaar offers shopping and colorful photography options. Bargaining is an art and expected when negotiating a purchase. Silver and gems, bronze and copper, exotic spices, leather goods, and fresh brewed coffee can all be found at the bazaar. Return to the hotel for a short rest before transferring to the banks of the Nile River to sail on the timeless waterway traversed by pharaohs, queens and nobles thousands of years ago. Enjoy a buffet dinner as you glide past Cairo’s waterfront landmarks. A folkloric presentation and belly dancing performance will take place during dinner. Return to the hotel and overnight.

Day 3: After breakfast at the hotel, travel to Memphis, Egypt’s first capital. View the ruins of the Temple of Ptah, the fallen colossal statue of King Ramses II and the Alabaster Sphinx of King Amenhopis II. A short drive from Memphis lies the oldest, ancient cemetery of Sakkara. The world’s first monumental stone building, the Step Pyramid of King Zoser, built by the engineer Imhotep almost 5,000 ago, still stands. After visiting the complex you continue to one of the Mastabas (funerary chambers) built nearby, such as those of Ptah-Hotep, Mereruca, Idut or Ti for an inside visit. Return to Cairo for lunch before reboarding the bus for the journey back to Alexandria.

I am excited to see how Egypt shapes up. Will write from there.

- Austin

Hey, hey from Varna. Bulgaria has been an interesting cultural experience. I’m glad I have been, but I probably will not make this my European destination in the future.

On Day 1, we decided to go see the hyped up dolphanarium and the zoo before heading off on our SAS trip: Wonders of Bulgaria at 14:00. Varna was cool because it had a long stretch of beach that basically had everything we wanted to see, and we set off in search of an ATM, which we would later learn was a monumental task. We finally found one and after about 5 people pulling money and me reassuring my friend Renee that the Bulgarian machine would definitely NOT eat her card, it ate her card. This ended up taking a long time to settle so we grabbed some Bulgarian food on the beach before heading to Wonders of Bulgaria.

On Wonders of Bulgaria we toured the Black Sea, checked out the Pobitite Kamuni, a large stone forest, visited Golden Sands National Park and walked through the Aldja monastery where the first Christian hermit was supposed to have live. Golden Sands is a beach resort about 20 km away from Varna and after hearing that the dolphinarium area was not as hyped as it should be, we decided days 2-4 would be spent there.

On Day 2 before heading out to Golden Sands, I went on “A Visit to a Fisherman Village of the Shabla Region” which, to date, was my second favorite SAS trip. The village was about 1.5 hours away, and from afar looked like a Roma village with its bright colored shacks. Our host family said that we were the first tourists EVER to visit their region, which was a poor village that most families went to during the warm months to fish and scuba dive for treasure.

It was a great experience and I really enjoyed talking to our guide Rumi, who had lived through both communism and capitalism and had studied in America. I found it particularly interesting to listen to his stories, where he praised the benefits of communism and made jokes of its faults. It was radically different from everything I have been taught in school, where communism usually equates to death and terror (Bulgaria was communist until 1989). He also said what was great about the United States was its ability to allow individuals to advance oneself “within the system”. After the tour of the village we were served fresh fish, organic vegetables and local beer in a great meal.

When we got back from the trip we ate dinner then headed out to Golden Sands. At GS we had a great time, spending a lot of time eating different foods and exploring the area. I am enjoying having the ability to go to Casinos and having the ability to go to any club. We unfortunately weren’t able to go spear gun fishing or bungee jumping, but we did get to go parasailing which was cool to see the city from the above the sea.

Next up is Alexandria, Egypt.

Email from July 25, 2009

We went to a fisherman’s village today and saw their village plus they caught us a fresh meal and cooked for us. The food was amazing and I really enjoyed the experience. Varna is really cool, probably will go bungee jumping or fishing tomorrow. Only have 2 ports left after this, both of which will be consumed by SAS trips. It already feels like its winding down. I think it will be very sad when this is all over. Having a wonderful time though.

SAS Summer Calendar Final Ports

WONDERS OF BULGARIA (Friday, 24 July)

This tour provides a spectacular introduction to the wonders of nature, ancient history and culture along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Depart the pier and travel west of Varna to explore the interesting yet strange-looking geological formation known as the Pobitite Kamuni (Stone Forest). This natural phenomenon is situated about 18 kilometers from the city and is the only preserve of its kind in Europe.  This four-square kilometer sandy area is studded with colossal limestone columns in varying forms. It is believed that these strange geological shapes formed 45-50 million years ago when the area was the bottom of a vast shallow inland sea.  Geologists agree that the formations occurred naturally but cannot agree on how they were formed.  This geological wonder is recognized as a Natural Site of National Significance.  Enjoy a short walking tour through this quiet forest and see the bizarre forms that resemble frozen human figures, monsters, truncated cones, fountains and lions.

Then continue to the Golden Sands Nature Park, another site of national protection, for a visit to the Aladja Monastery, which is now a memorial of Bulgarian cultural and Christian heritage. Located in a picturesque 14-kilometer wooded area north of Varna, these ruins are one of the few preserved and accessible rock monasteries in Bulgaria. Although Thracians lived in these caves during ancient times, the first Christian hermit settled in the area during the 6th century; these monks resided there until the 18th century. The monks’ cells and a small church were hewn out of the soft white-limestone cliff providing a retreat and refuge from the outer world. The 13th – 14th-century frescoes are now faded, though they must have been striking and colorful to earn the monastery its name (Aladja means “multi-colored” in Turkish). After exploring the area, continue along the picturesque Bulgarian Riviera coastline before returning to the ship.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING PROBLEMS (Friday, 24 July)

Human trafficking is one of the gravest situations facing at-risk individuals in the world today. Unfortunately, it is also one of the least publicized crimes.  This combination leaves individuals vulnerable to labor trafficking, child trafficking, and sex trafficking, just to name a few.  After the fall of the Soviet Union, the East became a funnel for trafficking people into Western Europe.  Recently, victim assistance efforts have increased but there is still a long road ahead due to government complacency and organized crime.

Since the fall of the communist regime in 1989, Bulgarian society has faced many rent problems and hardships. With no salaries or funds to survive, many Bulgarian girls became victims of human trafficking while searching for a better future. Many of the victims are from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union – Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, etc. We will meet with specialists from NGOs that struggle with trafficking.  They will tell us about the victim’s psychology and ways to prevent human trafficking.

This practicum will help students understand a less well-known plague in the field of human rights, particularly concerning the most vulnerable people in society – women and children. Further, it will illustrate how governments must step up their efforts if they want to rid themselves of stigmas and join the Western world.

FISHERMAN VILLAGE OF SHABLA REGION (Saturday, 25 July)

This tour will bring a small group of enthusiasts to the north of Varna – to the village of Shabla. The town is surrounded by marshes, lakes, and thermal water springs. Here life flourished for hundreds of years but during the last 50 years the people have moved away and now the village serves as a place for people who are coming from nearby villages and towns to fish and farm. This fisherman village contains makeshift shacks constructed from wooden beams, old sheets of metal, and cardboard. It is so colorful that, from a distance, it looks like a Roman village. Each fisherman/farmer has his own little shack to store his equipment and meet friends for a chat and a drink. There are several big cooking areas where the fishermen cook various types of fish soup in large communal pots in order to share their lunch together near the lighthouse. According to historians, this lighthouse is considered to be the oldest construction in the Balkans which has not been reconstructed in any way. Documents from travelers dated as far back as the1840s mention the lighthouse. Be adventurous and travel to this fisherman village and intermingle with the locals over lunch.

JEEP SAFARI & PICNIC (Sunday, 26 July)

Travel to the interior of Bulgaria on this full-day adventure.  Crossing the unique Batovata area, drive through forests, rivers and small villages before arriving at a local distillery for a brandy tasting. A barbecue lunch is included.

Email from July 23, 2009 2:14:39 AM

Hello All from Turkey!

We wrapped up our 5 day excursion in Turkey, which like Croatia was very American friendly. I was surprised because at pre-port (the meeting we have before every port that briefs us on what’s going on in the country) the SAS staff really emphasized the threat of terrorism and danger in Istanbul. This was the safest I have felt at any port.

We went and visited the Agora Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Cistern with Medusa’s heads, the ruins of Troy, the archeological museum and waterfront in Canakkale, the battlefields and cemeteries of Gallipoli, took a private cruise down the Bosphorus river, shopped at the Grand Bazaar, swam in the Aegean sea, visited a local Turkish university in a field developed practicum, ate Turkish ice cream and kebabs, visited some great upscale bars and clubs with locals, and smoked hookah in many of the lounges. I didn’t get around to eating Bakslava or getting a Turkish bath, but overall Istanbul was absolutely fantastic. I also love the exchange rate, 1 USD is equal to roughly 1.57 Lira which was great after a month of the dreaded Euro.

One of my favorite experiences in Istanbul was our visit to a Turkish university called Bosphorous University. It is one of 5-6 universities in Turkey where all classes are taught in English. This is done to advantage the students when finding jobs and I was very surprised to learn how school is run in Turkey. In high school, students select the area of study they want to pursue and study almost solely in that area. If they get the grades and test scores to go to graduate school, the students can only take classes in the area of study they chose in high school. It would really suck to have to choose what you want to study for the rest of your life at age 15. Students also earn credits for each of the classes they take, so that more credits allows for better selection of jobs and majors they can select when they get older. This was very confusing and I wish I could research this more.

I also really enjoyed the Bosphorous cruise we took. Haggling with street vendors is something else, these guys are aggressive and have to make a sale. We ended up getting a private, 2 hour, 12 person cruise for 20 Lira a person, which is about 13 dollars. It was great to cruise along the river and see Istanbul from a completely different perspective from the normal walking experience. Istanbul’s population is about 15 million, which makes it a very crowded but fun city. Probably 75-85% of the people out in the streets were men.

Troy was a HUGE disappointment. Brad Pitt was nowhere to be found (Troy the movie was actually shot in Mexico) and the ruins basically looked like some rocks with grass growing on them. Obviously I didn’t expect anything like the movie, but it was really disappointing to drive 6 hours there and not get much except for bugs and a few stray dogs. Did find a cheesy but funny replica of the old Trojan horse.

Trojan Horse in Troy

The locals we interacted with in Istanbul had a very strange sense of humor. Most vendors speak at least decent English and are aware that as tourists we are a little sketched out walking around their city and take full advantage. We also learned from a tour guide that only about 8,000 American tourists visit Istanbul a year. I can’t confirm this number, but if this number is true we would account for roughly 1/8 of the tourists that visit Istanbul each year.

Up next is Varna, Bulgaria (Kyle get in touch with me!! ajwalsh@semesteratsea.net), which I have no idea what to expect. I will be taking SAS trips: Wonders of Bulgaria, Visit to a Fisherman’s Village, Jeep Safari, and a FDP about Human Sex Trafficking. I want to see if we can go hunting for big game or canyoning/hang gliding too.

One of the funny things about not having internet is that the ship develops ridiculous rumors that no one can really confirm. We’ve heard everything from “Varna is the time of your life” to “Varna sucks, you will be roofied, shot, and sold to sex traders”. I am definitely hoping for the former, and from previous experience, I know it will be.

Once again I’m way behind on this blog so I’ll update with the most recent stuff and follow up later with Croatia. (Croatia is amazing!)

One of my favorite things about the SAS program is that you never have a shortage of people to travel with. One of my goals for this trip was to travel with different people in each port. It’s great learning about other people’s schools, traditions and parties.

Day 1 in Greece

Went into Athens and made our way over to the “Akropoli” to grab some lunch and go see the Acroplis.  After nearly flipping the table over when a pigeon pecked at my foot, we bought our tickets and checked out the Acroplis. It was beautiful, and it was exciting to see such a monumental structure. It sits on a hill that overlooks all of Greece and is considered to be the birthplace of Democracy. We then got down off the hill and sat on this massive rock that was the gathering place for their meetings and then walked down into the Athenian Agora. It’s interesting how little history America has relative to the rest of the world; there was a rock that was engraved from the 5th century BC in the Agora.

Afterward, we took the train over to what we thought was the first Olympic stadium. Turns out that place is actually near Mt. Olympus about 4 hours away, but we ended up at the Olympic Village, site of the 2004 Olympics. It was mostly empty except for a few athletes training, so we walked around and saw all types of training facilities.