Travel Journal, Part I

OK, so that last post was the result of a combination of sleep deprivation, a childlike sense of wonder that somehow survived past the age of 22, and the kind of supreme boredom that only occurs on a nine hour plane ride.

It is currently 1037 AM here in Turkey, and I haven't slept yet. If you ever plan on flying to a country where the time changes by a third of a day, be prepared for as much as an entire week of a completely backwards internal clock. You'd think that one night of staying up late and waking up at a reasonable hour would do the trick. It doesn't.

We're getting up at 6-ish on Monday morning, to fly to Amsterdam, so even if I achieve a decent sleep rhythm between now and then, it's likely to be completely effed up by the crazy early wake up call.

Still, I'm looking forward to the trip. Amsterdam has a lot of really cool things, I hear. Like museums, gardens, and the world's oldest stock-exchange. Should be fun, I'll take pictures.

Ankarah is a gorgeous city. It's dirty and old and smelly, like a lot of American cities, but in a kind of charming way. The city is in a ridiculously hilly region, so walking around can be a bit tricky. If you walk a couple of blocks on one street, you've reached a whole other elevation, which means you can only transfer to the parallel street by walking a few blocks more so that you're at the same level. This makes finding your way around a bit more difficult, but it allows for some truly breathtaking views.

Also, drivers over here be crazy. The dotted lines denoting the various lanes on the road are interpreted by the locals more as helpful suggestions than actual rules. traffic flow seems to resemble a crowd elbowing and maneuvering for position. Cab rides are truly an adventure.

Unfortunately, my first week overseas is turning out to be quite uneventful. The first few days I was so out of it from the timeshift that it's a miracle I was able to stand up straight. The last couple of days we've stayed in, slept at odd hours, and watched movies. I'd worry that I'm squandering a rare opportunity to immerse myself in a foreign culture, but I'm going to Amsterdam in two days.

Not much else to say for the time being. I'll post more when I get back from the 'Dam.