Harron, the longest continuously inhabited city in the world. Southeastern Turkey, 14 km north of Syria. 

BARCELONA, Spain July 28

Yup, thats right. The trip changed course a little bit. An early exit from Budapest led me to only one day in each Prague and Bratislava. Followed by a last minute, and surprisingly relatively inexpensive, online budget flight ticket landed me here at Neus´ place for the next week. Next stop is back home again and the joyful family outing that is my cousin´s wedding... Followed by the dreadful agony and liberation that is deciding the 6 and 12 month plans (perhaps even up to a 5 year plan...) for my own future.
A quick few notes on Prague, the Pincus Synagogue only tracked the geneology of Czech Jews but also had an extensive record of the Nazi transports. The major tourist sites are colossal in every dimension... granted you can see it over the thousands of tourists infront of you. The famous Charles Bridge will likely collapse some day under the trampling of the trigger-happy photographing tourists. From 10 AM to 11PM the Bridge is slow to traverse as it is literally host to thousands and thousands of walkers at any given moment. Very notable to SASers, I ran into Kyle in the main square! At first shocked, we settled down and had a good night on the town.
Bratislava, in a few words, it is a yet undiscovered attraction. With a comfortable cobblestone old town center of cafes, bars, restaurants and clubs it boasts an impressive nightlife. Meanwhile, like most major European towns, impressive castles and churches are easily stumbled upon. The flows of tourism will surely find places like Bratislava and Belgrade in the next few years.
One more topic to discuss in person sometime, if you are interested (ie ¨Professor Knowledge¨ Jason aka ¨Kristan,¨ Jordo, Uncle Neil, etc) there was a bomb scare at the airport today with police tape and delays at customs. Not to mention an entire terminal closed for 30 mins to an hour. From what little i have gathered from the news recently terrorism has had a very strong impact in the past three weeks. London x2, Turkey x2, Egypt, Iraq xcivil war, Barcelona (today´s scare), etc. Does anyone have any theories what is going on this month? Write a comment on the post or send me an email (aparker55(at)gmail.com). I am curious to get some opinions.

AP

BUDAPEST, Hungary July 24

Funny story...depending on your sense of humor. We arrived at the train station at 5:45 AM to a relatively bustling grandiose depot. Outside in a sunken courtyard more than a handful of men in their 50s were drinking small, single shot, bottles of vodka and beer. BEFORE 6AM! I guess it is similar to a morning smoke, which is also appauling. These were average people too. Shortly afterwards, I passed a couple in their late sixties. I noticed the man paused to place his empty miniture bottle of vodka on the ground. With two larger steps he caught up to his matchingly gray haired wife, took her hand, and they walked down the boulevard to their early morning activities.
As a testiment to cultural insensitivity, we all decided not to partake in this custom. When in Rome?

ps. On the train I discussed my opinion on vegetarianism. I belived that politeness is more important than pickyness in most situations. Example, turning down a host's elaborate meal if their is even a trace of meat. The man disaggreed and asked, "So if your hosts are cannibals then you would be polite and be a cannibal, right?" To which I replied with a sour face that morphed into a wry smile, "Not really... however, I have heard that people taste like chicken. Which, in turn means that chicken and many other things taste like people." Sounds like Soylent Green.....

AP

BELGRADE, SERBIA July 22

Quick post, the last few days we ventured to Istanbul and later on to Belgrade. The primilinary responses to Istambul was a feeling of entering Europe. A few good memories was watching a "Call to Prayer" contest between a series of singers in the Blue Mosque. Also memorable was spending 5 hours in a cafe drinking tea, smoking flavored tobacco from a water pipe, and playing backgammon.
On to Belgrade, the 25 hour train ride was at time lackluster but we met a few interesting individuals and watched the countrysides of Bulgaria and Serbia unfold from our windows. A quick thought is that both countrysides were remarkable in their own ways, however Bulgaria surely appears to be a third world nation in decline. In Belgrade, the city does not appear to have any physical traces of the NATO war of 1999 and the economy appears to be bustling. However there is so much more to explain. Tonight we head on to Budapest.

AP

URFA, TURKEY July 17

Hıstorıcal cıtıes remınıscent of Jerusalem. Myth states that Abraham had an epıc showdown wıth the reagıonal Kıng Nımrod over Abraham's smashıng of local ıdols. Nımrod ordered Abraham burned but God ıntervened and transformed the burnıng wood ınto fısh. When Abraham was subsequently thrown from the mountaıntop, God agaın ıntervened to change the rocks below ınto a fıeld of roses to create a soft landıng. Wıth thıs sıgnıfıcance, the rıver carp are sacred, lucky, and pampered. Sımılarly, thıs mountaınsıde grew to great hıstorıcal amd relıgıous ımportance.
As I type, out the wındow ıs a collosal Mosque flanked on both sıdes by 200 foot tall mınnerets. The buıldıng seems carved ınto the Eastward facıng mountaınsıde. Over the Mosque are the remaıns of ancıent fortress walls and a brıght red turkısh flag flappıng ıts crescent moon and star ın the wınd. Last nıght we clımbed up the mountaın road and gazed out over the rollıng cıty whıch lıned the rollıng hıllsıdes. At a hıllsıde cafe patrons sıpped tea and coffee whıle ınhalıng flavored tobacco from nargeela waterpıpes. Less than a stones throw away and slıghtly lower on the mountaınsıde the bullhorns attached to the mınnerets blared the Islamıc calls to evenıng prayer. Further below ıs a well lıt park full of famılıes pıcnıcıng or dınıng alongsıde narrow canals wıth occasıonal rowboats. In the dıstance one wıll also hear modern and tradıtıonal musıc echoıng from restaurants blendıng ın wıth some dıstant drummıng and faınter bleetıng bus horns.
Last nıght we stayed wıth a Kurdısh famıly for a bed&breakfast. The dınner and breakfasts both ıncluded Turkısh black tea and bread. For breakfast the maın meal was a hardboıled egg and fresh tomato and cucumber slıces. Dınner was a mıx of cooked vegetables and lamb meat wıth a sensatıonal varıety of spıces. As for the bed, Chrıs and I opted to sleep on the roof under the stars and soft glow of urban center lıghtıng as 800,000 people eased to sleep.
Today we weaved around the cıty's famous bazaar. Glorıous colored tapestrıes, ıntrıcately woven textıles, and powerful spıces consumed our senses as we managed to avoıd gettıng lost.
Later today we ventured to the ancıent town of Harran. The mud-brıck homes are shaped lıke beehıves and represent a way of lıvıng that has survıved for thousands of years. They lay ın the shadow of the ruıns of a Unıversıty dated before the common era (BCE). Harran boasts beıng the longest, contınuously ınhabıted cıty ın the world.
I can expand more on Turkey later on, however undoubtably Turkey ıs what I expected...and more. As for Urfa, ıt lıves up to the hype and wıll lıkely be my favorıte cıty of the trıp.

AP

Göreme, TURKEY July 15

First and foremost, Turkey is a surprısıngly welcoming and aesthetically lovely place. Today we hiked among the ruins of centuries old churches carved into mountainsides and cities carved deep into the ground. More about it later.

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Marmaris, TURKEY July 14

Earlıer today we arrıved by boat in a tourısty port in South-eastern Turkey. Over the past few days we sailed on mıdsızed 'cruıse' shıps through the Agean Sea, weavıng through dozens of Islands and floatıng over azure blue and turqoise water. For some days the weather has been brutally hot but the coolıng sea breeze and drınkıng lıters and lıters of water surely helps.
Two nıghts ago we stayed at a small studıo overlookıng a spotless tan sand and soft sapphıre blue sea cove (12 euros a person to boot!). On the balcony, relaxıng to the soft guıtar pıckıng of Greek musıc from a small set of speakers, we sıpped Ouzo, a Greek lıcorısh lıquor, and some regıonal whıte wıne. Accompanied with spaghettı, fresh fruıts (oranges, apples, and even watermelon) our evenıng pıcnıc was occupıed wıth gazıng over the dımmıng vıew, acknowlegıng the emergıng stars, and lettıng conversatıon drıft for hours.
Thıs should do for now, I am worrıed I wıll press 'post' and the computer wıll collapse. The screen shıfts from a normal color to yellow tınt and back lıke a 30 year old technıcolor televısıon set.

take care, now on to Turkey!

AP