Kapitan Andreeevo

A couple of weeks ago we ventured across the border. The Turkish authorities reduced the time for Polish passports from 90 to 30 days, so we have to leave and re-enter every month. We took a two hour bus from Istanbul to Edirne, then crossed the border to Bulgaria at Kapikule/Kapitan Andrevo. Like any immigration experience, this one was time-consuming and tiring, but worsened by the fact that we had to endure the searing heat at 2 am. Worse, the Bulgarian border control "office" was swarming with flying roach-ants. That, coupled with the unbelievable stench on our bus, made for a pretty awful 8 hours. Budget travel, I can't wait to forsake you! Nevertheless, our time on both sides of the border was fairly enjoyable.

Things Edirne has:

Amazing old mosques, delicious lokum, a fun main street, kokorec (a supposedly tasty, haggis-like, turkish specialty that I do not have the guts to try), and other yummy-looking street food. And super friendly people!







Things Plovdiv has:

Budget ruins, a pretty old town, old ladies with blue hair, scandalously dressed helmet-haired women, and a penchant for body-builders (both male and female)






Apparently a friend of a friend in Plovdiv (the turkish "mis" tense would be so handy here) discovered ruins while excavating for the foundation of a house and decided not to declare the find to the government. Also, one can attend concerts in a roman amphitheatre... on the regular. Oh, and did I mention that Bulgarians shake their heads from side to side to say yes, and nod yes, up and down, to say no? VERY CONFUSING. Oh, Bulgaria, I don't think we'll be back anytime soon....

Sticky Istanbul

After winding our way through Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, we are finally in Istanbul, where my Turkish skillz are improving daily thanks to intensive lessons.

Thailand was a modern miracle, Vietnam a heaven of motorcycles and amazing fresh street food - we ate like two greedy fools on about $5 a day, pho, bun bo hue, banh mi... oh my, Laos basically the best place I have ever been to - tranquil, lush green, and full of spicy and delicious food. The Lao principle of never wasting anything is wonderful. Nothing goes to waste (not even spiders and bugs). We skipped Cambodia in favour of an amazing island paradise in Vietnam (which I shall never name, The Beach style, because it is just that amazing).

Istanbul, by contrast, appears to be sprouting Alisveris Merkezi's (Shopping malls) like wild mushrooms. Nevertheless, the city is still charming, and you will never want for a beautiful view. It's a pretty livable city, and we're enjoying it immensely. P gets mistaken for a Turk frequently (as do I) and I'm pretty sure people also think I'm Roma. I don't think I've been in a friendlier place in my life. Turkish hospitality is excessive and wonderful! The only downside is that it is insanely humid here, which means every day is a bad hair day. That being said, the produce is unbelievable, which makes up for everything else. All in all, Turkey: all the benefits of Muslim countries, none of the defects.


Next up - Izmir and Cesme in the south on the Aegean Coast, followed by a couple of Greek Islands until we head to Cairo in September - during the last week of Ramadan!