Summer in Casablanca

Is this really happening? In one fell swoop, I open the email and I feel sheer excitement and fear all at once. I realize suddenly why I want to work in Morocco. It’s not just my obsession with Arab countries, but the new sense of challenge. Sure I’ve traveled here before, in a big group, but not alone, and certainly not for an extended period of time. The first thing people say is, make sure you will be safe. Then the fear sets in. What have I gotten myself into? Am I really ready for this? Or is it just one of those just jump into the fire situations..and is that really a good idea when it comes to personal safety? I hadn’t really thought much other than I want to be in Morocco and wanted to work with Boubker Mazoz – Why? I couldn’t really say way. It is slowly becoming clear to me now. How will it feel to live in a place where I don’t always feel safe and where I have barely a clue about the norms..I guess I’m up for the challenge. Another comment I’ve gotten is, “Casablanca sucks, it’s dirty.” Hmm…where have I hear this before? About my beloved Marseille. In this case, we can assume that I will most likely love Casablanca, as I will see past all of this. My heart beats with excitement and intense fear aka I’m scared shitless.

Blue, White, Blue

All I see is blue and white on the Greek Island of Mykonos. There is a government ordinance that all the houses must be painted white, and they all have either red, blue, or green doors. Thus you see a mélange of blue, white, and blue. The blue sky, the white houses, and the blue sea; they all somehow nicely blend together. I was surprised at how windy it gets on the island, and at how chilly it gets at night. Though I’m not much of a beach person, I really enjoyed the beaches here; they are very clean and small. We found a nice brunch spot near the hotel and ended up eating there daily. Run by a Greek couple, they made the best crepes I’ve ever had. Another thing to mention, the Greek yogurt here is amazing, whether regular, or frozen with some fruit and honey is just divine. I made sure to have yogurt at least once a day. It was a good choice to stay in the city center as everything is walking distance and there are many buses that go to the various beaches. It is nice to get lost in the streets as most of them don’t have names, they all look exactly the same, and you will get lost no matter what. So might as well do so proactively. It was a nice few relaxing days in Mykonos, now I head off to Casablanca for two months.

Ancient Greece

I’m in Athens now…it is hot…95 degrees and super humid. I quickly realize there is not much to do here as far as sightseeing, so I have a lot of time. The first day I check out the New Acropolis Museum and the Acropolis (temple for Athena) itself. The museum is pretty fascinating in that it has many pieces of the Parthenon such as the two main story lines on the east and west pediments (Athena’s birth and Athena’s fight to win Athens from Poseidon).  Walking through the museum, it reminds me of studying Greek mythology during my school days. What’s most amazing is that the Acropolis was built nearly 25 centuries and there are still remnants of the structure here. And even more so that this ancient site is in the middle of a modern city. Weaving through the various structures surrounding it, I make my way up to the top. I try to visualize what the Parthenon might have looked like at that time. As I wander through the streets, I try hard to remember the Greek alphabet from my sorority days as some of the street signs are not in English.  I can say that was quite helpful! I usually end up visiting places during the off season (more so by coincidence) thus being in Greece now is a total pain. There are tons of tourists everywhere and it just makes you not what to be here.

On a side note, I was curious to see how the current debt crisis has played out within the country. The signs that I see are lots of police on the streets and lots of closed shops. In speaking to locals here, they say it has been tough and there are lots of trains, buses and boats that have been cancelled. But I have not seen any protests or anything. Though people told me to be careful traveling around in Greece, after traveling around the Middle East, I am not too worried. One experience that struck me was with an Australian woman I had met here. We were walking to a bar to watch the EuroCup  semi-final game (Spain vs Portugal) and her ATM card got stuck in the machine. She just continued her conversation with me and said she’ll get her card tomorrow. I was asking her why she didn’t freak out…as that is what I would have done..had that happened to me. She then says “If I can’t control it, then I don’t worry about it”. I always thought I was care free in that sense, but she took it to another level.  As they say, life begins at the end of your comfort zone..I’m sure to test some of those limits especially in Morocco. Now I’m off to Mykonos for a few days of relaxation and to see what all the hype is about the Greek Islands.

The City of Baths

I’ve always heard from friends that Budapest is a really cool city. Now I know why. Some call it the “Paris of the East” but instantly I loved this grungy eastern European city. The first night a bunch of us go out to an outdoor terrace literally on a stairwell and check out a live band. I was going to call it an early night as I was tired from traveling, but then it starts to pour like crazy. I guess I was stuck..but it is so nice to enjoy the cooling rain when it has been sweltering hot for the past few weeks. Some folks decide to enjoy the rain and start dancing in it. About an hour later, the rain calms down, so we decide to head home, but of course stop at another bar on the way. Then it starts pouring like crazy again. Stuck again at the bar; but overall it was an awesome night.

I spend the next two days wandering around the city, learning its history, much of which I had learned before while in Vienna just a few months back. It is called the “City of Baths’ as it has many natural springs and waters.  I only learnt when I got here that the city is actually 3 cities united into one. Buda is the hilly side, and Pest is the flat side. The bridges, some named after the emperor of the Austro Hungarian Empire, are magnificent and fun to walk over. The best way to experience the city is just to walk across the bridges to either side, admiring the sites along the way. Sitting at the edge of the Buda side and overlooking the Parliament is quite stunning, especially at night.  All of the sites are lit up and look gorgeous against the water. The funny thing is that the Parliament building looks more like a castle, and the Buda Castle looks more like a government building. I also had a chance to check out the Terror Museum which offers a history of the Holocaust and the area itself was used as a Nazi headquarter.

I also notice random helicopters hovering above the city, and guards blocking of certain streets. This is because they are filming Die Hard 5, though I was not lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Bruce Willis. One thing that makes you love a city is also the company you have. I met up with a friend, our paths crossed in Marseille a few years ago and he had some local friends. Spending time with locals, watching soccer games with them and going to best clubs in town makes all the difference. One place called the Moon Terrace on Margaret Island (between Buda & Pest) was an awesome place. It’s a huge outdoor lounge with a dance floor inside; it felt as though all of Budapest was at this place that night. I really don’t want to leave…but alas I have to move on.

Lake Bled and the Postojna Caves

Bled is a small town about an hour away from the capital with a church in the center of its lake. I hike up to the castle to get a nice view of the church from above. It is so peaceful as I hear nothing but the birds chirping and the wind blowing through my hair. I see kids going down a waterslide from above, and just laugh at myself and my current injury from a waterslide. And I did not leave Bled without trying their specialty, the kremsnita, the Bled crème cake. It has a layer of flan, topped off with a fluffy cream and a crispy top. Overall it is very light and refreshing, perfect for the super-hot day.  I also had a chance to visit the Postojna Caves, limestone structures below ground. It is very similar to Jeita Grotto in Lebanon, so I am not too impressed or wowed. But if it is your first time going to caves like this, then you might like it. On my last night, I was lucky enough to snag a ticket to watch the Vienna Philharmonic (rated best in the world) open the Ljubljana festival as it is nearly impossible to get a ticket to see them in Vienna.  I must say, I can’t complain…life is good.

One funny encounter was with another backpacker, while watching a EuroCup game we spent an hour discussing ways to travel lightly as possible. Some of his tips included, not carrying a towel, using a travel toothbrush, and finding soap wherever you can. I guess I’ll see how lightly I can travel on my next trip. I will look at the scale, the next time I’m at the airport to see how heavy my bag is.

The City of the Dragon

Slovenia, a country with a population of 2 million, and 300k residents in its capital, is a very laid back country. I think that’s what I like most about Eastern Europe is that it isn’t infiltrated with tons of tourists.  I like to go to places that are off the beaten bath or not too familiar. So I fly from Chicago to Ljubljana (pronounced Loubiana) looking for some crazy adventures. And I end up in a hostel room with 2 girls from Chicago and New Jersey who will both be consultants. What are the odds.. But I still enjoy my time with them, we end up getting dinner and drinks near Preseren Square, the main square in the city. We watch all the men walk by and keep a tally of how many of them are carrying “man purses” or “murses”. The weather is perfect and it is so nice to sit outside near the water and have a few drinks.   

The Ljubljana River runs through the city, so there are many restaurants and bars along the river. I love small cities like this that are easy to navigate; you can easily get to know the city very well. Since it is the summer, there are many open air concerts. There is a nice balance of nature and culture here. But I must say that I feel like I am being attacked by killer bikers as everyone rides a bike and the bike lanes seem to overtake the pedestrian walkways. I head up the castle to get some nice views of the city and also notice how most of the country is covered in forests. It is called the city of the Dragon as there are ancient myths on a dragon living in the river and of knights trying to slay it.

One night, I end up going to an outdoor bar to check out the Spain EuroCup game and end up meeting some Slovenian guys. I end up chatting with them all night and learning about random things like immobility of the people, the real estate, and the economy of Slovenia. It is so nice to get a local’s perspective and to converse with random strangers.

Final Travels

I have about 10 weeks to wander the world before my life is over, forever. Ok, I’m being a bit dramatic. But I will start work in September, so this is my last summer of careless and worry free travel. For the foreseeable future anyway. So I am off to Slovenia, Hungary, Greece, and Morocco. And perhaps some detours along the away. Come join me on this final adventure…

Pura Vida

Pura Vida, as they say in Costa Rica means “pure life” and the motto of the nation. We spend the last of our time hanging out by Manuel Antonio Beach. It is a nice break from the hectic driving and activities of the past few days. We have rented a villa atop a hill, overlooking the water and with its own private beach. When we entered, it was literally like the first episode of a new season of Real World, where everyone runs around the house, screaming at its awesomeness, and choosing the best room. There is a large open terrace with a jacuzzi, dining table, and chairs.  I can say we spent a lot of time here, drinking, trying to site spider monkeys, and watching the sunset. As we are in a tropical region, it rains daily, a huge torrential downpour. But this is the first time that I enjoy the rain. It is a nice contrast to the hot and sticky climate and is very cooling. One afternoon I was walking around the beach and got stuck in one of these storms. I basically waited under a palm tree until it stopped. Looking at the ocean during the rain is a nice experience; I’ll just have to show you pictures. The last night, we hire a private chef to cook us dinner on the balcony and invite some friends over for drinks. My new drink after this trip is rum cream; it’s similar to Bailey’s and very refreshing over ice.  I am surprised we were able to rally 8 people every day to get up early and drive around without being late. We definitely had a good group here, and an even better time together. This was the perfect way to end 2 years of school with a final with good friends. If only I had a few more days here..but we have to get back to school as we graduate in a few days.

Final Fun Week in Costa Rica

Through no prior planning of my own, I am in a wonderful situation where I have no final exams. So instead of sitting in Evanston for a week, I decided to gather a group of classmates who were also in the same predicament for a trip to Costa Rica, with my pitch being “Who needs finals..Let the adventure begin in Costa Rica with active volcanos, tree houses, and cloud forests! “. The country is rather undeveloped and lush with trees and plants as we are in a tropical region. We have rented some SUV’s and make our way to Monte Verde on the first day, which is the cloud forest. The drive is nice and scenic, though it can take a while on the 2 lane highway if you get stuck behind a slow car or truck. I have never seen so many shades of green in scenery. The best part is stopping for fresh coconut water along the way. We go zip-lining in the cloud forest and get a beautiful view while flying through and above the forest.  A nice end to the night was drinks on the balcony and at the jacuzzi to watch the sunset. A must try is the guaro sour, which is very refreshing for the hot and humid days. The next day we take a van and boat ride over to the Arenal Volcano. It is active, but has not erupted since 2010. Here we go on a hike through the forests in search of creatures that live around the volcano. Ending the day at the hot springs was a rather unfortunate twist for me. Coming down what I call the Waterslide of Death, I ended up twisting my knee, and thus limping around for the rest of the trip. Had I see how the slide was actually spitting out people at the end, I would not have gone. But I guess you can’t have it all!