Middle East, 2003 - Jason Kester

PBRs and Mini-corn dogs

Jason Kester — Wed, 11 Jun 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Tonight, I'm drinking Johnia Waaker Black Label. No typos there, it's genuine egyptian whiskey. Aged almost six weeks. Tastes much like the local hootch in Thailand.

I'm doing my rescue diver course at the moment. Underwater Combat would be a better title for this thing. For two days now, I've been trying to subdue panicked divers at the surface and below, while my mask is being pulled from my face, my regulator is being ripped from my mouth, and I'm being kicked and beaten about the head and neck by the thrashing scuba tank of my 250 pound instructor. Even when we're doing basic things like taking our gear off and on at the bottom, this guy will come up and turn your air off to see what you do. Too much fun!

Chillin' at the Penguin in Dahab

One more day of this and I should be certified. After a bit of celebrating, I think I'll hop the ferry into Jordan. This place is great, but there's only so much relaxing a fella can do before it's time to move on.

Frogger!

Jason Kester — Sun, 25 May 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Some form of statue. Not sure what it's called

Crossing the street in this town, you need to be a bit more suicidal than normal. The streets are all 8 lanes wide, without any breaks in traffic and no crosswalks. Basically, you wait for enough room to step off the curb, then cast off and Hope for the best. The drivers don't actually accelerate when they see you coming, which at least gives you a fighting chance, but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves. Just this evening I was taken out by a taxi that was backing up a one-way street. Nice one, Mr. Taxi. I'll be watching for you next time.

These last few days, I've been soaking up the antiquities and trying to breach security at the US embassy so that I can get some more pages added to my passport. I've completely filled the thing. I win! Unfortunately, they're on double-secret terror alert here, so there's 200 troops outside the embassy and the streets are blocked off for a half dozen blocks in all directions. This is my second day of effort, I almost made it to the front door this time. I've got a good feeling about tomorrow.

Site up again

Jason Kester — Wed, 16 Jul 2003 00:00:00 GMT

I'm in Istanbul now, staying at this hostel with an amazing 360 degree view. There's the bosporous close in on one side and the blue & red mosques a block away on the other. All this for a mere (pause to bring Dr. Evil finger to lips...) Ten Million Lyra!

Istanbul is a great city. There's historic scenery everywhere, and shady parks as well. There is a Jazz festival going on, so a couple of us headed across town last night to catch this amazing quartet in an outdoor amphitheater.

In between the 6 and 12 hour bus rides to get here from Fethiye, I spent a day at Ephesus checking out yet more spectacular ruins. I was amazed at how many people were there. Thousands. I have no idea where they dug all these people up. Maybe everybody who was planning to go to Egypt came to Turkey instead.

Efe'd up

Jason Kester — Sat, 12 Jul 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Turkey y'alls! It's all good!

Just got off the boat from Olympos. 4 days of chilling in the sun, swimming in the Med., and sleeping on the deck of a beat up old yacht.

Ten passengers and a cheap price mean that they end up cutting corners in a lot of areas. The food was not particularly exciting, and they kept lopping off chunks of the itinerary. Twice a day, somebody would have the brochure out, reading about whatever secluded cove we were supposed to stop at but were at the moment sailing past. Lucky for me I had never read that brochure. No expectations = No disappointment.

But yeah, the ride was cool. Nothing to do but sip cold beers, work on the suntan, and maybe jump into the sea from time to time to cool off. Evidently, we cruised past some nice beaches and awe-inspiring ruins, but really I was too busy chilling to pay any attention.

Fourth of July

Jason Kester — Sun, 06 Jul 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Not too much festivity here for the 4th. Though I did celebrate Canada Day on the 1st. A group of Canadians showed up at the Pension in Goreme, complete with their own flag to hang above the pool.

I'm being shown around by a couple Turkish girls now, and try as I might, I just couldn't convey to them the concept of Independance day. Turkey has changed hands so many
times, and this last time it went in 4 stages, so the idea of a single day of liberation doesn't quite fly with them. They'd have a dozen days spread out over the year.

I'm on the beach at Olympos now, enjoying life in mediterrainean Paradise. There's not much to do here, but that's not really the point. After a couple more days of this, I'm going to take a 4-day sailing trip along the coast to Oludinez & Fethiye.

Livin' Large in the Axis of Evil

Jason Kester — Thu, 26 Jun 2003 00:00:00 GMT

So far, Syria has not been quite as deadly as the State Department would have you believe. Mostly, it's just awesome! Damascus is amazing. Best city in the mideast, as far as I'm concerned. You can really tell that it's the end of the Silk Road, the place where East meets West. It's still chock-full of typical arabs, with Arafat headdresses and ninja-gear women. But there's also quite a few women here who dare to dress western (a HUGE offence everywhere else in the mideast). And the busses here look like they came straight from Bangalore, complete with chrome-plated everything and thousands of multicolored lights. In short, I'm sold on the place. I was planning to leave this morning, but I just couldn't drag myself away.

I think I'm going to give Lebanon a miss. Too bad, since it probably would have been cool, but it's just so expensive to get there and back, since you have to buy a new Syrian visa to return. And really, Beirut is all about the nightclubs, and I'm not much for hitting them by myself. My hotel in Damascus is really nice, and where just about all the backpackers stay. Unfortunately, at the moment it is devoid of "lets go party in Beirut" hooligans to make the trip worthwhile.

Kester of Arabia

Jason Kester — Mon, 23 Jun 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Chillin' with the Camel

I spent the last couple days trekking about in the desert at Wadi Rum and sleeping on the roof of the government resthouse. Even found and filled my water bottles at the spring that Lawrence used to use back in the day. Nice. The place was empty, too. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the US Government for continuing to issue terror warnings for every country that I visit. It really helps cut down on the crowds!

Petra Monestary

Petra was just plain amazing. What a great idea! Giant buildings carved right out of the rock. Why didn't anybody else think of this? The place is still inhabited by the descendants of the people that have lived there since the day, but now they've got souvenier stands. It's great, you get your own little Bedoin kid following you around trying to sell you rocks. Already got some, kid. The place is made of rock. Want one out of my shoe?

I may spend a day down at the Dead Sea, then it's off into Syria and certain death. Wish me luck!

BFE

Jason Kester — Thu, 05 Jun 2003 00:00:00 GMT

The White Desert

Last anybody heard from me, I was about to hop a bus out into the Libyan Desert in search of an Oasis or two. I'm happy to report that I survived the experience.

Farafra, Egypt. Aptly named, and about the second most remote place in the whole country. There's a little village, a couple springs, and a bit of irrigation to expand the stand of date palms surrounding it all. Apart from that, it's just sand as far as the eye can see, Lawrence of Arabia style. I blew a day there, hired a jeep to take me out into the desert to catch the sunset, then made my way to a hotspring in the middle of nowhere to relax and check out the stars. Yeah, this will do...

Stella!

Next up was Luxor and Aswan for a bit of Tomb Raiding. Wow. Nothing I can say would do the place justice. If you've been there, you'll know. If not, you need to go before you die. Now is a great time to be in Egypt. With the combination of the off-season, the US government recommending its citizens to panic, and the resulting weak Egyptian Pound, it's like a fire sale over here. You can rent a camel for $0.50 an hour!

I'm on the Sinai now, chillin' on the beach at Dahab, looking to do some diving, and maybe give some attention to my recently neglected suntan. My room costs $1.50 a night. I should be able to hold out about six years...

Beer Run

Jason Kester — Fri, 23 May 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Part of the appeal of travel for me is that you tend to find yourself in really strange situations from time to time. Big cities in the third world seem to be especially good for this. Cairo has not disappointed.

I've only been here a few hours now, but already I've found myself in a custody battle between two pensionnes in the same building, each claiming to be the Dahab Hotel. One of them is actually correct, but that is no matter, as the other is convinced that it is in fact a new addition to the real place. Good for bargaining though. I've got AC and a balcony for five bucks a night.

So I'm eating my Shawarma in the lobby, talking to the manager (who now claims that he used to manage the real Dahab and thus the misunderstanding) and his "brother", and it turns out that there is a big wedding party tomorrow night and they need a huge favor, as the only place in town where you can get imported liquor is the duty free shop at the Sheraton. Of course they're lying, but I've been lied to all day and I'm used to it. And besides, what could possibly go wrong?

As a newly arrived visitor, my passport is a valuable thing. It contains a dated stamp that entitles me to bring 3 liters of alcohol and 3 cartons of cigarettes into the country. I'm finally getting to repay karma for mooching off upperclassmen for all those beer runs back at school. I'm expecting to be handed some cash and a list, then be inserted quietly into the lobby and return a hero, but no. It's easier than that. All I gotta do is hang out while our brother goes shopping, then produce my passport at the proper moment. Kind of a let down.

Anyway, my services netted me a couple warm cans of beer to enjoy on the rooftop deck of the hotel. So much sweeter because of how they were earned. I woulda done it just for the story.

Cha!

Jason Kester — Thu, 22 May 2003 00:00:00 GMT

My hotel room has a little arrow on the dresser so that I'll know the direction to Mecca. Outside my door was the morning paper in Arabic. Today I shall swim in the Persian Gulf.

Life is good.