Just sittin', and waitin'

So I left Egypt, arrived in Jordan, jumped in a cab in hopes of crossing the border last night. Turns out the Israeli's closed it for what ever reason at 5, 30 min before I got there. So my driver takes me to a hotel in Amman. The hotel was a former Ramada I think, except now its the Rama Hotel. They had sat. tv and I discovered theres about 10 TBN channels, for the Mid East in Arabic, Spain, Italy, Europe, etc. etc. The sat also had tons and tons of porn (you had to skip a block of channels to get by it) which I thought was mildly funny. Jordan actually looks alot nicer than Egypt.

Anyway, the by far and away absolute coolest person I met on the trip (and probably for awhile) happened last night. I was eating by myself in the hotel restraunt and a guy I thought was European or American walked in. I said hi and he sat down at my table. Turns out hes Ukranian, turns out hes a former Speltzna (Soviet Specail Forces-he grew up under Soviet rule), turns out hes been in 4 wars, turns out the 4th was Iraq.

It sucked being in the restarant cuase he spoke not the best english, and when youre telling story after story of killing Arabs you whisper. Anyway, he said he was a bodygaurd that was employed by some company, he had been there for a year and was finally going home to Ukraine. What he described was more of a mercenary, I sat there and couldnt really say anything as he rattled off about civilians getting carbombed, his company members dying by him, and insurgents dying alot. I could go on and on about what he said and even give some more analysis of crap but ill leave you with how he described when a human gets shot.

"(Wizzing his finger into stomach)Humans like jellyfish, 90% blood. Goes everywhere. Fuck."

Sun, sand, and museums

Cairo wears on you, constantly you'll run into great English speaking people that usually try to lead you to a "Government Musuem", which some people would call anoverpriced papyrus shop. Trying to get to the real Egyptian Museum yesterday we got stuck by 3 guys, all who told us the museum was close b/c of noon prayers (for an hour) or there was huge tour groups, and to just stop into a government musuem. Trying to stay polite and joke and say no every time you turn around starts to grat on you.

Otherwise, the city is ridiculous, theres no crosswalks, you just make your way through traffic, InSha'allah.

Gotta go, heading to the airport to (hoprfully) make it to Jerusalem via taxi. That means going through the West Bank and I guess making it through all the Gaza pull out protestors I just saw on the news.

Promise I'll fill stuff in later.

Welcome to Egypt

I was planning on doing a post on weird things or comments I never got around to before. Thats until I got to Egypt.

The day before I left the Athens the unions declared a strike, which then sent everyone in the hostel into total chaos. Some people woke up at 5 to try to check the first 7am ferry, some peoples flights were totally canceled, and some peoples flight were just delayed. I decided to go the the airport waaaaaay early, and lived there for 12 hours, making small talk with an Aussy guy that joined the desperate band of hostelers trying to leave Greece.

As for Egypt, I dont even how to begin. Will about got ran over, we got lost in an area thats probably never sees a tourist, and we stick out as if we were neon yellow. During the lost part, people would yell "hello" as we tried to figure out which alley would lead us back to the main part of the city (or atleast the part where theres tons of cops). Got suckered into buying papyrus 2x, so if anyone wants one let me know.

Saw the Pyramids today, Nile dinner cruise thing tonight. The hostel had a guy offer us a package, after nearly 2 hours of going back and fourth we did it. I was awake for about 13 hours yesterday (got in at 5am, woke up at 11am) and I think I spent atleast 5-6 hours looking at papyrus, haggling, or both. Egypt, while fun,can wear on you. You cant see stuff w/o having bedouins try to get money for standing nest to a statue and piont to it. Everyone wants alittle bit. Jenny would die here, she wouldnt even have time to fall, puke and die. Just start to fall and die one the way down before she hit the layer of dirt on everything.

Saw a huge fight last night when we tried ot go eat btwn a guy and girl in this mall restarant/fast food area, shoes, mops and fists all were used, and about 10 security and more civilians tried to break it up (3x). When it cleared out, Derrick went to the counter to get his food the guy said to us "Welcome to Egypt!" I laughed.

This place is like another planet.

Its all Greek to me, no really

I dont know how long this post will be. Today I went up to my room in Athens at around 3pm, came down after 5 and saw a message on the board that said "Transport Strike Friday, 24th". So I kinda do a double take and walk back to the desk and ask "So, what does that mean?". What it means dear super loyal readers is the metro (subway) shuts down, ferrys stop, and Olympic Air isnt doing all its flights. I care b/c 1) The metro takes me to the airport, and 2) Olympic is the airline Im using to go to Cairo. So, basically no one knows anything about how the strike is going to be done, sometimes they are short, sometimes they are long. Its pretty awesome that they announced around 12 hours before it started. It made me realize how much in America we take for granted simply our countries stability.

Otherwise, Athens is cool, but really you only need 2 days here, then go to an island. The awesome hostel Im staying in has a rooftop bar that stares at the Acropolis. Dogs are sleeping all over the streets in the city, but it only gives it a more relaxed feel. I had other stuff to write about, but now Ill Im thinking about is if I can actually get to Cairo.

Oh yeah, I met a chick the first night who actually knew who Niall Ferguson was. Super surprising, and super cool. We made out in a Turkish hooka bar. No, really.

Greek food kicks other food in the balls.

I heart hills

So I was thinking I may have been alittle harsh on all the Americans running around Interlaken. There is a ton of cool stuff to do here, I guess I just wonder if they come to Europe to only drink and sky dive.

Gimmelwald, Swiss. is a cool, tiny town. It has about 130 people in it and its a 45min uphill walk to the next larger hill. The easiest way to access it is via gondola. Basically, the Gimmelwald area is a juiced up CO. You dont really have anything to do except hike in the Alps and drink from random fountains made out of huge trees and pipes. The thing about hiking in the Alps is there isnt ever really a time its flat place, the inclines and heat work you over. Saying the Alps are big and steep is like saying God is smart.

Ironically, I picked Blogger b/c I thought people could comment, instead of Xanga. Well, instead of actually checking that out it turns out no one can comment. Ive been informed my dear friend Keaton is going to make a forum for people to comment. I took "forum" as meaning a place to make fun of me. Screw you guys.

Upon return from Gimmelwald we landed in Interlaken and are staying at the Funny Farm. Theres a nice hotel in front, the college kids stay in back in a converted barn (In the place we are the bunks are in between old horse stables). The place is basically like a ski town, where do nothing hippie Aussies hang out, smoke pot, and do tours down the river or ski diving.

When we got into town we rented a tiny car thing. We would have done scooters but my travel buddy has a height problem and wouldnt been able to put the kick stand down. The car was smaller than a golf cart, where you had your knees sticking out. Almost got into some trouble a few times. Driving a tiny joke of a car that people look and laugh at you in, in a place where you dont know the roads or cant read the street signs; you'll def. get into a few situations where it gets your heart beating.

Tonight with hippies, tomorrow back to gay Paris.

Be neutral, name a cheese after yourself

So today we landed in Interlaken, Switzerland. Neither of us had ever heard of it and just stumbled on it looking for a place near a big mountain. Apparently, everyone has heard of it and already been here. They all say its a blast, and theres plenty of crap to do, white water rafting, sky diving, etc. other extreme sports. But as cool as the scenary is, I get the feeling Interlaken is little more than a fratty American hub, with rich kids blowing money on whatever exciting thing and beer. In an earlier post I made fun of myself for not going to a bar crawl. But I wonder if thats not why alot of people I see come to Europe, just a new place to get drunk. If I had gone to the bar crawl, it would have been to meet people and hang out, not stumble back to our tiny hostel and sleep till 12. I can spend money on over priced drinks in America and not have to pay for a plane ticket to do it.

After that little rant against people who come to Europe, just to drunkenly make out with an American who goes to another college, Swiss. is pretty awesome. I gave Jane a thrilling lecture on Swiss neutrality, their banking and why they wont enter the EU, their pretty money, and the finer points in defending Swiss. from attack. Fun times.

Its 1pm, I should head to the pool for some Heni's and to talk to tha^t girl from NY. (she seems easy!)

The ups of Fascism

After the Eternal City we went to an area on the northern Italian coast called Cinque Terra. It was totally opposite from the first part of the trip where we ran around all day and collapsed in the hostel. In Cinque Terra the only thing to really do is hike through these 5 tiny towns. The only bad thing about Cinque Terra is the whole place is filled with Americans (and some Germans), and tons of Americans. It was cool at night when we hung out on the (one) street and talked to people. But its not so cool when your in Europe and everyone is American. Kinda like being in Texas and everyone is Mexican. Now we're in Venice and last night as we were wandering back to the hostel (more on that later) I heard a guy semi-yell "Bar hopping in Venizia!". They guys are making me hate Americans (more than I already did).

I always heard the thing about Italys dictator, Mussolini, atleast made the trains run on time. After trying to catch trains in Italy, you wonder if the Black Shirts werent so bad. In Cinque Terra we decided to hike to the 4th town from the 5th town and catch the train to the 1st town where we were staying. Hiking in the moon light through vinyards is fun until you try to go down a moutain with the mountain hiding the moon, and thus, dark "steps". We ended up getting there 30min before the train was supposed to come, only to have it be delayed for some reason for almost 2 hours. The next day trying to get to Venice was a series of missing connecting trains cuase ours was 20min late, and some how the one we needed was actually on time. It was awesome getting to see the train stations of Pisa, Bologna, and Florence. I think I liked Florences the best.

Florence brings me to another point. Jane has been pickpocketed once (took some maps out of a pocket in her day bag) and Ive been robbed twice. The first time a Gypsy girl (I think all the beggars are Gypsies, they seem Gypsy-ish) wanted money while I was eating lunch. A simple "I dont have money" didnt work, so I thought I would be clever and offer my sandwich, she didnt want it but pointed to my coke. I was like "You want the coke?" and stuck it out thinking she would go on. Except then she just took it and walked off. If the Mafia needs tips on extortion, they need to watch Gypsy women. The second time happened while I was eating quickly in the Florence train station, this time two kids come up saying they want change. I tell them we dont have any and leave. So the maybe 7 yearold boy points his 4-5 year sister to my Pepsi and she grabs it and takes a swige and walks off. Atleast she was kind enough to leave the can.

And a short thing on Venice. Once you kinda walk around the city, you get the feel of it, and its cool. The "streets" are little more than a series of connecting alleys that randomly open up into squares, then more maze alleys. When we got in last night we decided to take a quick walk over to Saint Marks (where the Venetians smuggled Marks bones to) and come back. Getting there was pretty easy. Coming back was a 2 1/2 hour ordeal. The streets in Venice are so small, and the buildings all about 3 stories high, its basically a gaint human maze, and no cheese. The map we had was crappy, which encouraged blindly looking, which encouraged more getting lost.

Next, Switzerland.

Or, you could be an organ grinder

Day 6

Its Sat. night and were partying it up washing out clothes at a laundary mat. Yeah, I know it might sound like a lame thing to do while in Europe on the weekend. But No.1 Jane doesnt drink, so I feel bad about going to the awesome bar crawl and leaving her (15 euro for 1 hour free drink, then at the next 4 bars a free shot when you show up!), No. 2 Probably shouldnt go out since, a) early train, b) the hostel has 2 bathrooms, i bet its a blast waiting in line when you gotta pee out 15 drinks.

Speaking of the hostel, its really not that bad once you get used to it. Like me and Jane when we showed up I saw the looks on peoples faces, then being more pissed off when they told them they are sleeping at the other hostel and have to walk there. Its a cool place, Jenny would die here, just fall on the floor, puke and die.

The traveling situation between Jane and I has its ups and downs, usually we'll have a fight at some point every 1 or 2 days. She already threatened if I "snap" at her again she'll walk off. Maybe, Jane should learn how to read a freaking map, maybe that would fix alot of things. Like not searching for the Lyon hostel for an hour with our packs on.

Today, is the first day I havent eaten something from crappy McDonalds. Its turned into a place to get a quick snack and use a free bathroom. But theres a price, and its crappy McDonalds, I feel like Im doing my own Euro version of Super Size Me. But its "Maxi" size here I guess. I'll think up some gay Euro name later.

Today we saw the prison where Peter and Paul got to hang out, Ive been cooking up some retrospective historical post. You just wait.

I also met Mormon missionaries on the subway. Geez, those guys are everywhere. Instead of giving him a lecture on the "minor" differences I asked about Italy. He said he got robbed in Naples. Oh, by knife, or a bat or something? No, a gun. I guess all these laws do make the streets safer.

Next time, Im going to Brazil, becuase apparently, everyone is hot there (the girls).

I am Sparticus

Day 5

So in Rome now. The hostel we ended up at is run by Indians, they provide free bfast and dinner, plus like a free beer or something. Thats about the end of the positives, the common room is little more than a large office area, 3 bedrooms hold 30 beds, and for those 30 people they share....2 bathrooms. The whole thing is basically a 3 bedroom apartment/house thing converted into a super packed in hostel. We showed up just in time for dinner last night, so then you have about 20-30 people packing into an area for maybe 10 to hang out. Ever been to one of those parties where you cant move its so crowded? Im living at that party for 3 days. My bed is on top of the lockers.

To get us ready for the hostel, we slept in a "couchette". Its basically a small train car that sleeps 6 people. It wasnt nearly as bad as it could have been, as the couchette-mates were cool, 2 Duke froshes, and 2 Italian chicks. Off to see the Colosseum.

Who knew a over 2,000 year old city would be so dirty.

The fat, the starving, and the French

Day 3

So, this is finally the first time Ive had a chance to post. Disclaimer- If there are a bunch of mispells and bad puntcuation(sp) on this, its not my fault totally, as these keyboards are different from American ones.

Anyway, being allergic to fish in America sucks. Being allergic to fish in a country where theres a language barrier and youre not exactly sure what is in everything (sauces, etc.) sucks a ton more. So basically, its bread, these long bagette sandwiches with ham, maybe cheese, and butter. Im not sure who thought it would be a good match for ham and butter, but everyone agreed on it. So in Paris and Lyon I can eat another thing, something only Americas soft empire could deliver, McDonalds.

Jane and I walked into a McDonalds around 10 or 11 the first night I got here. It was kinda by the Arc de Triumph, and it was packed. At night it was almost all French kids, but as my fear of dying in France wont go away, Ive freqeunted other fine establishments, other times of the day its older people. The French loving McDonalds isnt a youth thing, its everyone. And speaking of fine establishments, the McDonalds here resemble more of a cool lounge than the place you and I are accustomed. Nice wood chairs, flat screens, music videos, oh yeah, and Mc Cafes selling pastries(seriously). Another exciting thing about traveling 6,000 miles to eat at a place also everywhere in America, they have 4 special "Road to America" sandwiches. I knew I would like high French cuisine.

Other than that, saw the big sights in Paris, grabbed an old French guy and his wife from getting hit by a backing up van. I wish I could have done a post for Paris and a post for Lyon, both are cool. Met a Protestant, American missionary in Lyon that explained to us the subway wasnt working and gave us tips on the city. He said he had lived there for 19 years, now thats some serious commentment to bringing down the Universal Church. So yeah, every day we've walked atleast a few miles, and adding on 4 travel books, 3 Arabic, 2 dictionaries plus all my other crap walking for a few hours gets old quick. On the upside, my new, stronger back and shoulders should give me just the edge I need to be able to totally dominate croquet when I get back. Only 4 more hours for a Paris-Rome train. Rome should be fun, cuase apparentlyn everyone is headed there.

After a long day in Lyon Jane we tried to eat at a real French cafe', Jane ordered the sausage. The sausage was made of tripe, not blended tripe, big chunks of it. Hilarious!

Blastoff

So I'm leaving for just about the entire summer, some traveling, some "learning advanced Arabic", which may just be doublespeak for how long you can go without going on a spectacular murder/suicide spree. Anyway, Jake and Amanda can be praised/blamed for me releasing a blog unto the world. I called it "Team Khateer" after a imaginary adventure group I thought up, complete with awesome patches and matching clothes, "khateer" means danger in Arabic fyi. Apparently, I'm just so darn interesting people that can not be near me must read about my goings-on, or, choice B, is I'm that kid that says "Should I ride my bike down these stairs?" and his friends answer is "Wait, let me get the video camera." So here it is, now I'm one of those people with a blog, but I mean, atleast I'm not a Xanga person. Then, I'd just have to quit and to show my emotions and look foward to the next Dashboard cd.

Okay, so I'm going to outline how this will work and set up a pre-launch senario (this is going to be a long post-I'll try to keep it short). Number one, I'm going to do my best to keep ranting to a minimum. I was thinking about all the crap I could write out on a blog, and then a few things occured to me. A) You can rant about nearly everything; girls/boys, politics, religion, etc. etc. I realized I could spend pages talking about politics and religion, but if you care about any of that stuff, you've already had a conversation with me about it and already know what I think. So don't worry about pages and pages of essays and long explanations. (Thats going to be harder than I thought, I had to erase a paragraph of ranting about explaning there would be no ranting)

Number two, this blog will (hopefully) be actually interesting to read. I promise not to recount every lame minute of my day, or skip on the good parts. I've noticed alot of people say something like "then I went over to Johnny's house and the party was CRAZY!" then they go onto what they had for breakfast the next day. Rather than having the skeletal boring blog, I'll have the muscular blog that kicks the others in the balls.

Number three, I'm going for some blend of a minority of commentary on certain things I see or people I meet, but I'm going to try to focus more on the actual action of the trip. Below will be a list of reasons the action shouldn't ever be on the short end.

First off, from June 5-21 I'll be basically in the same room or standing next to Jane the entire time. Even though we'll be staying in hostel rooms with other people, she'll still be there. When I'm walking down the street, Jane will be there. When I'm wondering why I went to Europe with Jane, she'll be there. Most of you are aware of the pressure cooker relationship Jane and I have. We're friends normally, but one quip about philosophy, politics, or religion can spark a debate, which may or may not lead to yelling. Examples? I tried to watch "I heart Huckabees" with her, and I missed the last half of the movie b/c we got into a big debate about the philosophy of identity. Another time I made a quip about the falling Euro (yes!) and the French regreting their slimey socialist economic practices-yeah, another big discussion. Yesterday Jane and I talked about whether we would even be talking at the end of the trip, I'll say 40% "no". A finally, a quiz: What did Jane tell me what phrase she's going to learn in all the three languages of the countries we'll be in?

A. Where is the bathroom?

B. He very allergic to fish, do not allow any fish near my traveling partners food.

C. The guy next to me is a ninja. I know nothing about politics, and 98% of everything I think about philosophy and religion is wrong.

If you guessed "D-He's not with me (referring to talking to guys)" then you are correct. Europe is going to be a blast.

The other part of the trip is a short stay in Athens, then arriving in Cairo at 2:45 AM, then crossing the Israeli-Jordanian border 2x, and finally settling in Jordan for 6 weeks. I might mention the Jordan program still has not told us where we are staying, and we had one meeting to prepare us for it. I'll also be in class 5-6 hours a day with one other person. Basically, right now the whole Jordan thing is a big qeustion mark, the guy there said he'll email us about it (I'm guessing on Arab time, which is similar to Indian time), and I'm leaving the country tomorrow. It's going to be an interesting stay.

So now I go, leaving the gleaming alabaster city on a hill, and into the darkness. See you in August.

hope this works

I think I have created a "blog". hmmmmmm, we'll see if I really did or not