A Happy Ending

I have always liked Sir Richard Francis Burton, the controversial 19th century English explorer. He was an intrepid pioneer who lived his life with audacity and zeal. He once said:

One of the gladdest moments of human life, methinks, is the departure upon a distant journey into unknown lands. Shaking off with one mighty effort the fetters of habit, the leaden weight of routine, the cloak of many cares and the slavery of home, man feels once more happy.

It is tradition among Bursa trainees to list the best and the worst upon leaving. I will do the same in concluding this blog:

To begin with, the worst comes in three. First, the worst of the worst was not having a job. I felt confused and disappointed after being lied to and deceived for the sake of advancing an organization and personal interests within this organization. I could not have anticipated meeting students my age who, impervious to disgrace, acted selfishly and egocentrically. I painfully learned to be more selective in trusting others and I am proud of myself for sticking it out. Second, issues with health: my hair falling out, gaining weight (the evil twin), and falling down the stairs. Lastly, being kidnapped by a dolmus driver.. blond hair and blue eyes are rare in Bursa and it was always a struggle for me, I had to get used to constant staring and occasionally found myself in humorous situations, like the time I was driven up the side of a mountain against my will. I say humorous because Bursa is the safest city I have ever lived in.

Now for the best. The truth is, the proper adjectives do not exist to adequately describe the sensation of exploration, though Sir Richard Francis Burton can help me out here. Traveling is, simply put, a myriad of leaving parts of us behind while redefining the 18 inches which separate the heart and the mind. It makes me happy. However, more important than any city or country is the people which define that place. The best is the people who made me smile, made me laugh, made me cry; the people who made me sad to have left but happy and fortunate to have met; the people I will never forget.

Videos

This video was taken in Bursa at the bazaar. Myself and another trainee from Bosnia named Melika accidentally stumbled upon a friendly group of old Turkish men who were practicing the saz.



Me sledding down Mt. Pilatus. I make it look easy but I assure you, its not.

Back in the USA

We're back! Check out the pictures (moving to a free site):
http://picasaweb.google.com/brittany.mullett

Yudl-Ay-EEE-Oooo

Why did we go to Switzerland you ask? Because:
Athens = 44 hours by bus + $300
Basel = 6 hours by plane + $300

Serene, peaceful Switzerland was such a nice break from the madness of Istanbul. Matt and I spent our first day in Basel, an artsy city which sits on the north-west border of Germany and France. The city boasts some traditional architecture as well as some modern buildings. My favorite building was the Rathaus, Basel's Town Hall, decorated in the Art Nouveau style.

On Friday we took a train to Lucerne, a picturesque and friendly place with contrasting views of Lake Lucerne and Mount Pilatus. Our second day in Lucerne we took a gondola up Pilatus (7,000 ft) and enjoyed an unforgettable panorama of the Swiss mountains. The best part was sledding all the way back down Pilatus, although the steep icy paths were terrifying!

We didn't actually witness any yodeling in Switzerland, although there were alphorns, and we managed to over stuff ourselves with Swiss chocolates.. we are still over stuffing ourselves with Swiss chocolates...

Now we are back in Istanbul at the cozy Mavi Guesthouse, once again enjoying kebaps and chai. Tomorrow's main event will be shopping in the Grand Bazaar for a water pipe, teapot, and some special gifts for all of you!!

Auf Wiedersehen!

Matt in Turkey

Merhaba! I have about 5 minutes to update everyone on my backpacking trip...

We spent the last week in Selçuk and Cappadocia. Selçuk is a small town in Aegean Turkey with an incredible wealth of history. We toured Ephesus (worth seeing twice), the Isabei Mosque, and St. John's Basilica. Cappadocia is a region of Turkey famous for its natural rock formations, or "fairy chimneys," one of which we spent the night in! We hiked in Ilahri canyon, tunneled an underground city, experienced the frescoes and rock-hewn churches in Göreme Open Air Museum, and learned about traditional Turkish handicrafts. After three overnight bus rides in a week we have safely arrived in Istanbul, which has to be one of the most beautiful and exciting cities in the world. Today we visited Haghia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art...but we have only brushed the surface!

Tomorrow we will fly to Switzerland (no longer going to Athens) and hope to see Basel, Interlocken and Lucerne by bike.

Alive and kickin'

Sorry for my prolonged absence from the blog!! You cannot imagine how busy I have been my last weeks in Bursa. I have been participating in the Meet My Friend project, going to different schools around the city and presenting about American culture (pictures above).

I leave tonight. I will pass the next two weeks in Istanbul, Selçuk, Cappadocia and Athens. I will try to update the blog during my travels and when I get back to the US I will write a long reflection about this incredible adventure which is now coming to an end.

See you all March 12th!

Adventures in the Bazaar

Saz: Turkish folk instrument (I am working on posting a video).

Turkish nationalism!

The silk bazaar.