Travel Underwear

(This post is for you, Clara!)

I hate to check bags. When I traveled with teachers last to Morocco, the airline lost the entire group's luggage for an entire week! So, needless to say, I now try to pack light.

Last year I turned in the pack that I carried throughout Southeast Asia and China for an even smaller (purple!) one so that I wouldn't have to pay to check my bag on Ryan Air, the cheapo European airline that gauges passengers for printing boarding passes and bringing a normal amount of luggage. The guy at L.L.Bean looked at me and said, "This is really for a one-night hike at most."


Yeah, I took it for a month to Europe.

And now for six weeks around Turkey, Switzerland, Denmark, and Italy.

With each trip, I've tried to refine the list even more. This trip's new discovery: travel underwear!

Pricier than a usual pair--anti microbial, odor resistant and all that jazz--it dries in two hours! The ad claims "Seventeen countries. Six weeks. One pair of underwear (maybe two)."

I splurged and bought two (actually, one was on sale), and I have to admit that it was the best travel investment yet. Ex-Officio is the brand, and they run big (I have XS).

A few notes on packing light:
1.  Be ready to do laundry by hand. Travel clothes line, sink stopper, and soap (I use Dr. Brommer's peppermint) are a must.

2. Only take the clothes you always reach for; anything that you would not wear for a week straight does not make the cut!

3. Versatility is key.

4. Cotton is cool, but takes a long time to dry.


Here's what I brought on this trip:

*  2 pairs travel pants that roll up (charcoal gray and light gray, though I'd say next time, just one!)

* 1 black skirt (I used to have a travel dress in black but I found the material to be to heavy so I opted for thin cotton this time)

* 3 tank tops (black, charcoal gray, turquoise--versatility!)

* 6 tops (black dressier, maroon linen, light blue, turquoise, yellow pattern, purple scoopneck)

* 2 long-sleeve, super thin coverups (black and taupe) mainly for mosques and evenings

* 2 scarves (one red/black pattern for mosques and one gray snap scarf that can be made an infinity scarf or a top or a blanket for the airplane)

* I black Lululemon warmup jacket (for airplane and cold nights on the roof in Istanbul)

* 3 pairs of shoes (black Reef flip flops, brown dressier Keene sandals, and gray Jambu closed-toe shoes, though I think I could have done without the last pair for summer travel)

* 2 pairs travel underwear (3 regular, but haven't touched them yet)

* I pair of socks (for airplane but found them unnecessary)

* 1 regular bra; 3 sports bra-like bras

* 1 bathing suit

* 1 pair of pajamas (since I had a roomie that I did not know beforehand, otherwise I'd say unnecessary)

* sun hat/sun glasses

* travel towel that is super absorbent (not necessary if only traveling around hotels, but hostel stays sometimes charge more for towels)

* minimal jewelry: just what I wear ever day (anklets, grandma's necklace, prayer beads)

* hair accessories: chopstick, rubber bands

* Toiletries: (6 weeks)
-3 bottles travel shampoo (I did bring some lotion in a GoobTub and I liked it! Next time, I'd put favorite shampoo in one of those instead; kinda pricey but worth it)
-1 bottle conditioner
-face cream with SPF
-night cream
- travel sunscreen
-2 disposable razors
-1 travel deordorant
-3 travel toothpastes
-1 travel toothbrush (hate the one from Target; Shauna liked hers better)
-tampons
-2 travel bottles of Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap; great for laundry and can be shampoo in a pinch
-2 travel bars of Clinique face soap; awesome for washing face and as body soap, though I'm still on the one bar
-tweezers
-nail clippers
-band aids, Neosporin, Res-Q ointment (Burt's Bees)
-makeup (eye liner, lip gloss, forgot mascara!)
-Chapstick with SPF
-1 travel bottle of hand sanitizer
-1 small pack of facial wash wipes

*Other
-2 Platypus water bottles (.5L and 1L); great b/c they collapse!
-plug adapters (Shauna had a multiple outlet, too, which I think would be cool)
-travel clothesline (mine wraps around; Shauna's had suction cups--still not sure which I like best
-travel bag that collapses (Orit gave me this one from Riesenthal before China and I love it! Used it to get food throughout SE Asia and is great when shopping)
-small, three-zippered LeSportSac bag for day trips (holds notebook, water bottle, camera, and other small things and bag can be kept in FRONT, which is better when amongst pickpockets)
-small, in your pants/down the shirt pouch for passport and big money; always is on me when I travel
-camera (and cord) plus 16G sd card
-iPod touch (with headphones and charger)
-MacBook Air (and charger); I only brought for teacher institute. iPod touch is great for travel with wifi (in fact, typing this blog entry on it now)
-32G flash drive

Speed Dating on a Ferry in Istanbul

It was a special night. We left the tourist traps able to accommodate groups of 35 for what some consider to be the best restaurant in Istanbul. We took the tram to the ferry to go to Asia (yes, Istanbul straddles two continents!). By “we” I mean the entire group of 30 teachers.

Dinner was yummy. Chef decides the meal based on what is local and in season. The vegetarian options divine. Fresh juices (blackberry and tamarind).

It was such a leisurely enjoyed meal that we then rushed to catch the last ferry back to Europe. Prior to the rush, a man selling balloons had a pegacorn (Pegasus plus unicorn), which he sold to our pegacorn-enthusiast, Leah.

On the ferry, I sat on the periphery of the group with Brent and Pat. The rest of the group was having fun and laughing loudly (I think the pegacorn was involved).

I noticed a Turkish man alone to my right who was becoming increasingly perturbed by the noise.

He made eye contact with me.

I busted out the one Turkish word I could muster with any confidence, “Merheba.” (I think my pronunciation of this one word was getting pretty accurate since people stated spewing Turkish at me so quickly I couldn’t keep up beyond the “how are you?”; one guy even spoke to me in English to ask me to say it again, informing me that the pronunciation was perfect).

Apparently, pronunciation on spot again because the guy on the ferry came and sat next to me, going on and on in Turkish.

It didn’t take long for him to figure out that I had no idea what he was saying. But, as I always tell my students, 90% of communication is actually non-verbal. He then proceeded to explain to me how obnoxious “that” group of foreigners over there was by rolling his eyes and using the universal signal of twirling a finger near his head.

Ah yup, that’d be the group of teachers that has been my family for the past few weeks. Right, I don’t know them.

He then offered me his tea. I refused. He put the tea in my hand and disappeared.

Uh…

I then realized he’d gone to get himself another tea. So now this is some sort of date?

I looked to Brent and Pat, sitting on my left, being amused by this whole interaction. Brent quipped, “Be sure there isn’t a rufi in there.”

Eric came by to sit next to me and I said, “Uh, I’m kind of on a date right now, apparently. You can’t sit there.”

The man returned, tea in hand.

He tried the only English he knew, “Where are you from?”

“United States.”

Silence. Sips of tea. Awkwardness.

Thanks, Brent, for the memory! 

He pointed to our group again and we bonded over how crazy “they” were (Sorry, gang, for throwing you under the bus like that!).

Then he held up his hand, and with the other hand pointed to the ring finger inquisitively.

“No,” I said as I shook my head.

I returned the motion to him.

“Yes,” he smiled.

Wait. Either this guy is married and is on a date with me on this ferry, or I just asked him to marry me and he said yes!

Saved by the dock.

It became rather obvious rather quickly that that “crazy” group of foreigners was actually my crazy group of foreigners. I thanked him for the tea and got off with the group.

Edirne....Easy as 1,2,3.

Edirne (Eh-deer-nay) was the second capital of the Ottoman Empire. Located at the border of Greece and Bulgaria, it provided a strategic location for the Ottomans.

The best part of traveling around Turkey with two Ottoman experts is being able to truly appreciate the architecture and historical significance of a place. In Edirne, we visited three mosques that were built about 30 years apart, literally walking in the footsteps of generations.

Mosque #1

Outside the mosque is a porch, rather than a courtyard.

Barb, our awesome Ottoman expert, explaining in the porch.

Ablaq influence--alternating colors in stone

Many domes.

A lot of calligraphy, appealing to a more literate population.

Many posts intruding in the space.

Mosque #2

Three-balcony minaret.

No posts intruding on space.

Less calligraphy, less distraction.

Shauna, my roommate, in the courtyard. Still see Ablaq influence.

Courtyard outside rather than porch.

Clara from Boston!

Mosque #3: Selimiye, architect Sinan's masterpiece

Mosque has more of a complex outside with hospital, schools, and shops whose income helps support the mosque.

One large dome so that eyes are drawn up, towards heaven.

No calligraphy.

Wide open space. Octagonal supports pushed far out.

Shops within mosque complex.

One of the most awe-inspiring mosques we visited.

Selimiye at night. People are waiting for iftar on the lawn. A mosque is more than a mosque; it is truly a community space.

Patrick!

Atatürk! Atatürk!

Mustafa Kemal. Otherwise known as 

Atatürk.  Father of modern Turkey. Leader of the Battle of Gallipoli, which kept the French and English out of the Anatolian Peninsula.

Without him, no present-day republic.

His image is everywhere--on flags, on practically 99 out of 100 statues I've seen, on neck ties, etc.

As Macit, our tour guide, recounted the story of 

Atatürk at the battle, he mentioned that during battle Atatürk sustained an injury from shrapnel being blown towards his chest.

Say what, Atatürk?

Read his account behind me.

Me, too!

Only I didn't have a pocket watch stop the shrapnel and miraculously save me.

No, I had fat help lodge the shrapnel from going any further, like say into my heart and what not. (I still think it was the muscle from all of my insanity workouts).

I felt a weird connection to this national hero. And I was able to talk about the marathon with other teachers on this trip in a more meaningful way. It's a strange thing to bring up in conversation--Oh, and by the way, I was bombed. Visiting the peninsula and battlefield helped me have some conversations that were probably helpful for my healing, and for that, I'm grateful, Atatürk.

Does this mean I have to lead a nation now?

Graves of soldiers. 

Roomies!

Atatürk!

Barb and Macit, our parents on the trip.

Çanakkale, where we stayed for the night.