The end of another journey

As I am sitting in my room in Singapore, I am lamenting already. The trip is over - reality is back. In the real world I hold a 9-5 job (actually 9-7 job). While I was gone, I heard the stock market also turned bad so I likely lost some extra money that I could have just as well wasted on another Turkish bath. Quite likely when reality strikes it wouldn't be just a Turkish bath I lost.

Anyway, the last two days in Istanbul I did the mandatory shopping. I bought about 8 kilos of junk - mostly Turkish delights and baklava that I know most of my friends and families won't eat. I think there is enough sugar in my big bag to kill a kid, if he ate it all. T-shirts that I don't wear and souvenirs that will probably stay in the drawers or closet till they are thrown out. As I was lugging my 18 kilos big bag through the streets of Istanbul to take a tram back, I promised myself I will not buy any souvenirs the next trip which will likely be broken. I think a lot of people hate souvenirs. Like me, they probably think whether or not to junk the stuff when someone gives it to them but they feel bad because it was from some distant land (likely China).

Now that I am back I will get a chance to upload some pictures and also maybe give a summary of the pros/cons of the trip.

Pergamum (Bergama)

Running through the sites is a really tiring event. Yesterday, I went to Ephesus (yeah), Ephesus museum, the Basilica of St John and the house of the mary. Today I went to Pergamum and saw the Acropolis, Asclepios, the red church and Bergama museum. Tonight I will take a bus to Istanbul. I went really fast in Pergamum because I thought I might save one day of staying by going on the bus tonight. Actually, it will be more because I paid a taxi driver to drive me to all the sites. Taxis are really crazy expensive. Petrol is also ridiculously expensive - 3 lira a litre(works out to about 8-9 ringgit a liter). I was planning to stay one night at Bergama but it is not a very tourist oriented town and I could not figure out where the cheap guesthouses are. I saw a few later when the taxi driver was driving me around but when I came I did not feel like wandering around with my big backpack in this sweltering 40 degrees heat.

Moving faster

Time is running out for me and there are still so many places to see. I guess I will just move fast. A bus ride every other day I think that is kind of what my plan is. Currently in Selcuk and came to a place called Atilla's getaway. It was highly recommended and it is such a party place - not really my type of place. Too old for all these Aussie/Kiwi/British backpacker's drinking parties.

Mount Nemrut

After Goreme, I made a trip to Mount Nemrut, an ancient burial site for a king. There you can find the big heads of gods that often appear in travel books for Turkey. The trip there was very long as the site is remote. I took an overnight bus to Malatya and took a tour from there. The tour was an overnight trip and we got to see the heads during sunset and another time during sunrise. I was so tired I almost overslept for the sunset tour; the tour leader only managed to wake me up after knocking on my door for a while. Everybody was already waiting impatiently in the van when I rushed out.

Currently, I am at Antalya after an 18 hours bus ride. The weather here is really hot but the city has an incredible sea view with surrounding mountains. The day is so hot I just spent most of the afternoon at air-conditioned eating places.

I think from now on, I will have to move really fast because I have only one more week and the whole west coast to do. I will likely skip many sights as I want one or two extra days in Istanbul to do some shopping and a cruise down the Bosphorus. 3 weeks to see Turkey is rather short I realise because I did not get to see any of East Turkey and will not get to do any of the "blue" cruises on the Mediterranean sea. It seems like everyone I have met really recommended doing the blue cruises but with little time and my skin condition I think spending time in the ruins would be better.

Göreme RPG

Well I planned wrong and got stuck in Göreme for 1 extra day. Not too bad but I kind of need to be rushing because there is still a lot to cover and rather little time.

Anyway, I just did a day tour of the area and it was very cool. They took us to an underground city, the monastery in Selime, a canyon walk and a bunch of other places. Göreme and the area around Kappadokya has such a long history for Christians. Every interesting site here is an ancient church or some Christian thingy. The Christians from the earliest time were already persecuted and so many of them hid in underground tunnels and rock caves that are strewn across Kappadokya. They definitely led a hard life for the faith. Most of the churches are from the 8th to 11th century. Some go back as far as the 4th century and so says the tour guide. Many have beautiful frescoes painted inside the churches/caves once upon a time but are now destroyed by erosion, light and people.

On my spare time (when I wasn't on tours), I did a few walking tours by myself. They were definitely the best part of the stay here in Kappadokya. The walks are so scary because you never really know for sure if you are on the right path - nothing is marked out properly. I really shouldn't be cheapo and should pay for the guides. Anyway, you rely on some hotel map that can be almost thrown away the minute you get on the trails. I feared getting lost or being stuck in the wild at night. Also some of these trails are on the mountain side and some goes through big rocks so slipping will not be a pretty sight. The great thing about the walks are you never know what to expect; sometimes I turn a corner or climb over a rock and I see a deserted church cave or a magnificent overview of the land. This evening I was almost panicky worried (because it was 7:30 and I was afraid to be stuck in the wild at night) and I climbed out the valley and there was a gorgeous view of the land. Much to my relief, there was also a very wide path leading to town. It was like playing an RPG only you could not save the game and retry - a real bummer if I died. Also no "sword of a thousand truths".

Turkey update

Finally found a keyboard that types properly so I will try to keep you updated on how things are in Turkey. The place is beautiful - lots of land, people are friendly and helpful, relatively safe, full of places to visit. Yesterday, I just arrived in Goreme, Kappadokya and the place, as the lonely planet has it, has jaw-dropping scenery. In fact many visitors I met say they stayed here for many days. Definitely gorgeous landscape. I am staying in a place called Flintstones in a cave that they converted to a dorm - I didn't really like the room but it was late and I did not want to lug my big bag around for too long trying to find another place to stay. On the down side, my skin has really been acting up. I suspect it is all the Mediterranean food. I am sure soaking in sweaty clothes, something that happens frequently on travel, doesn't help as well. It started almost as soon as the plane landed. Also, I get a backache from carrying my daypack from the first day. The backache I can handle but the skin problem is literally irritating. I am trying to figure out what are the causes but it will severely limit food choice if I start jotting down what I eat everyday. Currently, I'll just be avoiding eggs and tomatoes which is about everything Mediterranean. Also, I have antihistamines and steroids if I need them.

Safranbolu,Turkey

After 3 days in Istanbul, I headed over to Safranbolu - a small town north of Ankarra. I looked at many of the tourist attractions in Istanbul but there were still quite a few that I have missed. I am expecting a few more days in Istanbul before I head back to Singapore. Anyway, Safranbolu is a holiday because it is a small charming town where I could just sýt back and relax. In fact, I spent a good hour after dinner sitting on a hill drinking tea. Safranbolu is a Unesco heritage site that did not appear much in my lonely planet (because I have the Middle East book instead of the Turkey version). I will stay here for another day because it is such a neat little town. I took a tour around the region with some of the people staying at the 'pensýon'. Anyway, it is a little noisy here and I am a little fed up with this Turkish keyboard, so I will stop here for now.

Istanbul day 3

Istanbul is magical. I have not completed all the sites as I am leaving Istanbul till the last league of the travel. I did many of the major sites around the old city and saw a bit of the new Istanbul. Still there are quite a few things to do.

The Aya Sophia was magnificent. Inside there is so much history. The place was mainly marble and was a church that was converted to a mosque and later into a museum. Currently part of it is under restoration. Inside you will see Muslim and Christian influences. I spent some time sitting at the gardens outside Aya Sophia because the weather was beautiful. It is summer here in Turkey but the weather is perfect. Warm in the morning but not sweaty hot and humid. Cool at night but not freezing cold. I could go around all day in t-shirt and 3/4 pants.

Couple days in Istanbul

Reached Istanbul at 6:00 am 12 July 2007. Followed the instructions to the hostel. Not a direct route but fortunately the instructions were very clear. Istanbul is beautiful - very historical and diverse. All the main tourist sites have so much history. Well I am not in the mood to write much now but just to let you know that I will be staying here for at least one more day. Then I might be heading off to Ankara but am not very sure yet. Things might change when I get to the bus station. I am tempted to go with a tour operator but the prices are so much higher and so i'll just trudge along while I have so time.

Turkey trip

Time 10:07. I am now waiting to board my flight at Changi airport and so I thought I would find this time to quickly update this blog. Isn't it great that Changi airport provides free internet? The last few weeks have been rather tiring because every weekend I was running off to Malaysia. It was fun but it meant that I lost some sleep here and there. This 3 weeks trip to Turkey would hopefully be refreshing. I am a little wary because I really have no idea how Turkey would be like. First time in Middle East, so I really do not know what to expect. Most of the Middle eastern news have been rather negative and so I go with a little apprehension. Anyway, if I hesitate and not go, I think it will be harder to make the trip when there are more commitments later on in life.

Going alone again. Somehow I always end up going alone because of my constant lack of planning. Going with a group just seems like so much work - planning and coordinating. Anyway, time is running out so I will have to end this blog now.

The Hermit

You are The Hermit

Prudence, Caution, Deliberation.

The Hermit points to all things hidden, such as knowledge and inspiration,hidden enemies. The illumination is from within, and retirement from participation in current events.

The Hermit is a card of introspection, analysis and, well, virginity. You do not desire to socialize; the card indicates, instead, a desire for peace and solitude. You prefer to take the time to think, organize, ruminate, take stock. There may be feelings of frustration and discontent but these feelings eventually lead to enlightenment, illumination, clarity.

The Hermit represents a wise, inspirational person, friend, teacher, therapist. This a person who can shine a light on things that were previously mysterious and confusing.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Something in my eye

Sick! I managed to remove a small piece of contact lens that has been stuck in my eye for 2 days. I was really sweaty when I was removing the lens so I had quite a difficult time. Guess I must have accidentally torn it. I felt something stuck in my right eye for two days but I couldn't see anything in the mirror. Glad I did not get an eye infection from it. I was about to give up and go see a doctor but fortunately I manage to get the piece out before I went.



Focus dailies - cheap and very comfortable but ultra difficult to remove. My face was slapped by the Padas river while I went river rafting and the contacts were still intact. Good for water sports because you have to go through a lot to lose them. I had my face filled with sea water while diving and they were still on. With Acuvue, I had contacts fall out on me while diving. However I use to spend 15 minutes trying to remove these damned Focus daily contacts. My eyes would be all red by the time I had them out. It is really irritating to spend 15 minutes tearing at your eyeball because you just cannot get a grip on the contacts. Now I remove them easier because I went to the Focus website to see how to better remove them. Stupid me. Overall, Acuvue from Johnson & Johnson is still better. Acuvue have a bluish tint so you see them in your eye in the mirror and their lenses so much easier to remove.

A Serious Case of Wanderlust

Lately, I have been hit by a serious case of wanderlust. I felt like just walking out of the office during lunch and not returning for the next 3 months. However, logic tells me that would be a really stupid move. I believe I could probably come out with 101 answers for why that would be a really stupid move but I do wonder what would happen if I did that? That move would be so out of my character that nobody would expect it. Anyway, I probably would never find another job in the banking industry if I did that. Ha ha ha.



Anyway I feel like if I don't wander off somewhere soon, I'd die of boredom. Maybe I just need some variety to spice up my life. Maybe I seriously need a girlfriend. Maybe I just need to grow up. Maybe I need a purpose in life. But for the time being, I'm going to spend the time daydreaming about where I'm going next. It is my quick fix, my 'wander' cure for boredom.



Tomorrow, I'd see if my boss is in a good mood. I'll try my luck to see if I can negotiate a couple weeks holiday sometime next month. If it is successful, then I'll have to stop daydreaming and start forking out months of hard-earned money to some greedy airline company. Seeing the damage to my already thin wallet sometimes cure the wanderlust like no other wonder drug. Once the dough is gone, quite often the desire to travel subsides. I wonder why?

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My Korean friend

 

I went up to Mt Kinabalu again this time with some friends - one of them was Korean. Once you get her started talking about Korea, there is no stopping her... If I'd listened intently, I could have written a guide book about Korea but as usual I'd tuned out after 5 minutes. Anyway, her photo is blurred to protect her identity. Instead you get to see my beloved travelling doll.

My new Core2 Duo

Well I finally splurged and assembled a new computer. I spent $1500 SGD on the box without the monitor. I'll keep to the existing monitor since it is rather new and the monitor currently doubles up as my PS2 display.

Compared to my old Pentium 4 1.6 GHz machine, this new one can run rings around it. My previous rig was 256 Meg ram and spots a 40 Gb harddisk. It runs on a $40 graphics card. My current computer is a Core2 duo 1.83 GHz machine, 2 Gb ram, 500 Gb harddisk with a Radeon 1950 Pro graphics card. Currently this set up would be a mid end computer but since I have been so used to the old setup, software just seemed faster. Moreover, the 500 Gb harddisk allows me to burn rental DVDs into the harddisk in about 10-15 minutes. No more late returns for rental DVDs.

All in all, does the new machine save me time? The answer is a resounding "No!". As with most(98%) new technology gadgets, this computer just does not save me more time. No matter how fast windows take to boot up, I end up having to spend more time learning new software, playing new games where the old junk could not play, downloading new animes to watch and a plethora of things that just eats up my time with nothing to show for in the future. The morale of the story is this - "Don't kid yourself into thinking that the latest gadget will save you more time." I'll have to admit I kind of like playing with these new toys even if they eventually end up wasting days of my life.

In a blink of an eye

The last month has been really interesting. A lot of things happened but of them 2 events stood out. First, my brother got married. Bam! Out of the blue I heard about it from my sister Kim. Since ,about now almost everybody in the world knows it, I might as well publish it officially. I don't have a picture yet so I can't post it.

From what I heard or felt, it happened really quick. One week he wasn't married nor dating, the next he was married.I was shocked for a couple days but happy for him. It's about time he got married. He's old enough to know what he wants in life. It's about time I got married to but lady love has not been as happy with me as my brother. I'm not sure how's the other family members reacting to it but I'm sure we'll all be very supportive.

The other event was that mom's shop got robbed. Cleaned out by 5 robbers - 2 with guns. This also happened really quick. 5 minutes. It took the robbers only 5 minutes to clean up the whole store from what dad said. They took a lesser time cleaning the shop than I would have taken cleaning my room. Gosh, might be even faster than my shower. Luckily no one was hurt. In times like these, money does not seem like such a big deal after all. It would have gone really bad if someone was shot.

In a blink of an eye, these 2 event happened and will likely impact my family and my life for a quite a while.

Lava Wall

Legaspi, Philippines - My travelling doll amidst the lava wall at Mayon volcano.

Got to see lava

If it is any consolation to myself, I finally manage to see lava. I thought I was about to waste my only decent holiday of the year being trapped in a dinky town with nothing to do but sit in my room watching tv. I finally decided I would just suck up my pride and call the taxi that fetched me from the airport to take me to see the volcano. Yup, I had a strong feeling I was over charged for the ride and it was quite a waste renting a 10-seater van all by myself. So he came and drove me to some of the sites that had great views of the Mayon volcano. Much to my delight, the volcano had some activity during the night I was there. In the night, you could see streams of lava flowing down the Mayon. It was a majestic sight. I couldn't get any pictures because it was too dark and I found it impossible to hold my camera still for more than 3 seconds.

The next morning, I got the driver to find me some willing villagers to walk me to the nearest lava site. This was rather difficult because the military had imposed a 6 km radius evacuation plan. The villagers had to take me through the routes where the military guards could not spot us. Fortunately, there were plenty of volunteers. Initially I had a guide, who then brought along the uncle who then brought along another uncle by the road side. I wasn't upset about the party but everyone they bring along means Pesos coming out of my pocket. We had a 30 odd minutes 'brisk' walk to the destination. They brought me to a point where the lava had formed into a huge wall and many coconut trees were brought down by the lava. The wall was still smoking so I did not want to risk my hands getting burned to climb it. The sulfur smell was still very strong so I just took a few snaps, had a short rest and started my journey back. Not 'Discovery channel' close but close enough for a tourist. A good experience for me and a profitable morning for my guides and driver. A win-win situation, I guess.

What am I doing here?

Immediately upon reaching Legaspi, I find myself regretting it because it was raining quite heavily and I have no idea what I am doing in some dinky little town in Philippines. I initially came to Legaspi and skipped the more touristy part of Philippines because I thought the volcano here was about to blow. Upon reaching here I find that for everyone life is as normal. People are still busy running around doing their usual thing, all the news you read is a little exaggerated. I have no idea how to get to the volcano and it seems the only tourists here are visiting relatives or some volcano specialists. I on the other hand am a tourist who knows next to nothing about a volcano except that my mobile phone theme is volcano.

I am going to stuck here for 2 more days without the trusty lonely planet because I decided to be adventurous and not let the lonely planet ruin my holiday. Now I scouring the local bookshops trying to find out where the hell is Legaspi, Philippines. Well I get what I asked for. Or I need to find the local bar and chat up with some locals who are willing to be my tour guide. Anyone would do but I wouldn't be complaining if it turns out to be a hot local Filipina.

My 4% fund

From the few places that I have stayed for a little while - Malaysia, US and currently Singapore, Singapore's deposit interest rate has been the most dismal. Currently, the rates for a savings deposit is about 0.25%. That means if you have 10,000 Sing dollar in a savings account in the beginning of the year, you will get only $25 at the end of the year. Yes 25 stinking dollars. If you have breakfast at Starbucks and then take a taxi to the bank to collect your one-year $10,000 interest, the breakfast and taxi fee would have almost wiped out all your interest. Moreover, $10,000 savings to a salary earning adult like me is ultra difficult to save (of course, with my lifestyle I almost spend it all).

Well, my colleagues and I have been scouring the banks for a better deal and quite recently there has been a few 'limited time only' 2.8% fix deposit rates if you put 20,000 and above. Good rates compared to 0.25% but $20,000. Somehow, I think I can do better than 2.8%. I have always boasted to the colleagues that I can top the 2.8% offer. I told them if they put money with me I will give them a 4% fix rate. Surprisingly, none has taken me up on the offer. I don't know why not!! Do they think I would run away with their money?

Lately, a bank has called me up and said they would give me a 5% loan for six months. 5% is not too far from what I am offering my friends. I have been thinking of taking it up to see if I can get back more money with it. Very tempting. I will let you know if I take up the offer. The chances of me taking up the loan is very high. Very high indeed.