Counting Down

Note: Not just one, but TWO new picture albums are up!  First, “Turkey: Topkapi Palace Bosphorous Cruise,” which shows my first two days back in Istanbul, Turkey. Second, “Turkey: Selcuk and Around,” which I’ll continue adding to until I move on, has pictures from Selcuk, Ephesus and soon a few other day trip places. Enjoy!

Day-to-Day: 1-15 September 2011

 

Just ten days in Turkey isn’t much, you know. As I knew before I came, it’s barely enough time to find out what I’m going to miss! While I was in Nepal, I was sure my time would be a whirlwind of experiences here as I tried to make the most of my last traveling days. After landing in Istanbul, though, I knew I had to take it easy on myself because my body was starting to become sluggish: slight head cold, exhaustion, soreness. When this happens I know what to do: slow down, relax, recharge.

All right, well, I haven’t really done that. But I’ve cut down on the number of things to cram into my time in Turkey, so at least that’s something! So I spent a day and a half in Istanbul, checking out Topkapi Palace for the morning and then taking a boat cruise on the Bosphorous for the afternoon. It was a great day, tiring but not overly exhausting. The next morning, I took off south to take in Ephesus, which has been recommended to me a dozen times by other travelers and friends. There are a couple cities near Ephesus and I chose Selcuk, which has turned out to be a great choice. The Ephesus ruins were fantastic and the bits of Selcuk that I’ve seen are pretty neat too. And the food… I’m loving Turkish food!

As for the rest of my time in Turkey, I’m hoping to take a quick trip to the Aegean coast to swim in new waters, perhaps visit Sirince for the wineries, hustle over to Pammukale for the calcium-rich travertines and Hieropolis ruins, and maybe even squeeze in Cannakale, which would allow a half-day trip to the ruins of Troy. It’s a lot, and I’m not 100% sure I’ll make all of it, but at least I have some goals to tick off as I go.

Of course, I’m counting down to the day I get home, too… just six days away now! My panic has subsided and now I’m just waiting to see how things go. It’ll be a busy week right when I get home, with family visiting and a marriage celebration and a friend visiting as well. Then I’ll have the two weeks of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to relax and settle in. I’m a little nervous, quite a bit excited and mostly, just curious. I’m actually succeeding at not getting more worked up the closer it gets. In fact, I feel calmer and more assured about heading home now.

As I’ve been looking back at this year of travel, I’m trying to come up with lessons learned and ideas hatched and insights gained. I’m not sure I’ll be able to articulate everything here, but one thing has stood out to me recently, because it’s one of the most common questions I get asked when I meet other travelers: have I been scared as I’ve traveled on my own in all of these foreign places.

The answer is, of course! But when I really think about it, it occurs to me that never once was my fear really substantiated. I remember arriving in Siem Reap late at night on a bus and being mobbed by the touts and feeling terrified. In Thailand, a tuk-tuk driver ditched me in the middle of a strange neighborhood when I refused to buy clothes at his friend’s shop. In Indonesia, I got lost hiking amongst the rice paddies. In Hong Kong, I couldn’t find my way to a rendezvous point with my couchsurfing host, didn’t have a phone and it was late at night. Three men stared at me in Nepal one time when I was in a market and I felt exceedingly uncomfortable. In Vietnam the traffic made my stomach turn and crossing the street nearly made me vomit. And when I was sick in Cambodia, that was scary.

The thing is, most of the times I was scared, it was because of my own preconceived notions. Exceedingly impoverished people? They must want to steal my things, or mug me, or frighten me into giving them money. Traffic? They’re going to kill me, or perhaps mug me from a motorbike and hurt me. Lascivious men? They’re going to follow me, intimidate me, attack me.

None of these things happened. Nothing even close. Sure, poor people begged and some looked angry when I didn’t give them money. But none ever attacked me or even touched me once I walked away. While it truly is scary, no one in Vietnam came close to hitting me and no motorbike drivers made a grab for me or my bags. Lascivious men? Catcalls, offers, winks and annoying, too-friendly chatter, sure. But nothing more.

In fact, most of the times I started to feel fear, it was the people themselves who eventually helped me. Whether it be other travelers or locals, inevitably people are what have made my trip so amazing. Having gone the places I went and experienced the things I did, that was incredible too. I’m so proud of myself for skydiving, for braving public transport and new foods and amazing adventures, for riding elephants and exploring ruins and sleeping in strange places.

And so, to those who ask me, “Were you ever scared?”

Of course. My answer is, of course! And then I found out that my fear came from my own preconceived notions more often than the reality I was confronted with. That a healthy dose of fear keeps me alert and attentive, but that reaching out to others for help and guidance and reassurance will almost always result in a successful experience. And that people, in general, are good!

What a great lesson to learn about myself, that I can fear, and evaluate, and overcome my fear to become a person who reacts to reality.

--Z