Chaos. If I had to describe Egypt's capital city in one word it would be Chaos. From the crazy driving, to the seemingly unmuffled taxi's to the piles of garbage and junk all over the roofs of the buildings, Cairo is a crazy city. Full of pollution and many old, once beautiful buildings Cairo is a unique mix of old and oldest as it is home to the Great Pyramids of Giza. It was so strange to ride through the cluttered dirty streets and see, above some worn down apartment buildings, the tops of the Great Pyramids in all their glory. The sheer size is enough to impress even the most jaded of tourists, and the amazingly intact structures can't help but inspire awe and wonder for these thousands of years old architectural wonders. Me and a friend went on a sunset camel ride one through the Giza Area, and explored the sphinx and one middle pyramid the following day. I recommend trying the camel at least once for the experience, but only for a short tour, and after that definitely recommend the more comfortable and faster horse.

Labels: Bucket List, Travel, World Tour

Effusus is home to the biblical town the book of Ephesians was written to. It is home to some beautiful ruins the most impressive of which is two tier over 40 foot tall facade the of the Library. Although I didn't spend to much time looking through the ruins, the Library alone was worth the visit in my opinion as it is one of the most well preserved, delicate and beautiful ancient ruins I have seen.

Labels: Travel, World Tour

A strange geologically active area full of cascading calcium pools, Roman ruins, hot springs and beautiful blue pools, Pamukkale was definitely an interesting place to see. I went here with two friends and spent a day exploring the area before heading on to Effuses. I loved the natural beauty and felt as if I was looking at another planet as we explored the strange calcium rich landscape. The Roman Ruins here were also interesting and included an amphitheater in really good shape for it's age. If you are in the area and have time I recommend making a day trip in Pamukkale.

Labels: Travel, World Tour

Full of strange rock formations, beautiful landscapes and famous for it's rock dwelling and underground cities, the Cappadocia area is one of the more interesting places I have seen in my life. With a strong resemblance to the mid-west in the states, what sets Cappadocia is it's thousands of years of history as a refuge from oppression. Paul visited the Christians here who were avoiding the Romans and many churches can be found throughout the area. I highly recommend visiting Cappadocia and I know for myself, it is an experience I will not soon forget.

Labels: Travel, World Tour

Istanbul is the city where east meets west, where the Asian continent and European continent connect. It bridges the cultural gap and is a pleasant mix of both eastern a western cultures from it's beautiful mosque's, flower lined streets and ottoman charm to it's European-like efficiency and order. I found it to be a somewhat addicting city. I had planned to see the city in about five days going to two or three main sites per day, but I ended up just seeing one or, at the most, two sight per day as I found myself content to stay as long as I could in this charming and culturally diverse city. I made a many good friends during my two week stay here and was blessed by the friendship and hospitality of some new Turkish friends as well. I think Istanbul is a perfect city to glimpse a taste of Muslim society without the full on intensity and American resentment found in other parts of the Muslim world. I highly recommend visiting Turkey and Istanbul is a must stop, but be warned, the city an intoxicating charm that may cause some to spend longer than intended exploring it's culture, sights, smells and sounds.

Labels: Travel, World Tour