Friday July 17th,
Happy Birthday to my roomie Megan and to Gian.
Today has been a chill day all three classes were good, nothing exciting. Anyways tomorrow we will be in Turkey, an at today’s preport they tried to scare the living crap out of us as always. Basically they just told us about the many terrorists attacks on the city of Istanbul, and how exactly a year ago before the MV Explorer was suppose to pull into port there was huge bombing which directed SAS from turkey. They also informed us on the major human trafficking and pick pocketers in the city. Then when they actually compared it to Times Square and to Harlem, I felt it was something I could defiantly handle. But I was not too sure on how I felt about them comparing it to both times Square and Harlem, New York those are two separate areas.
Saturday July 18th
I LOVE Istanbul. The Grand Bazarr was amazing I want to definitely come back here. They have an outside portion that is basically the “cheap area” and inside was the more expensive area with tons of gold and pearls, and rugs and lots of other house items. I did let my friends leave me and I was alone for about an hour and it was very relaxing I did not feel rushed at all, and it was so much easier to barter (convince owners to bring the prices down). Eventually I left because I could not take the heat and the smells which were horrible, and in the process I found a chicken place which I decided to stop at because I wanted to try something the locals eat. It kind of bothers me that they are nowhere near sanitary here so touching the food is not uncommon one bit. The chicken wrap to me was not good at all so instead I just ate the chicken pieces out of it. This is when I decided to go on my search for corn. When I finally found it, oooh my goodness it was HORRIBLE! (I bet you all thought I was going to say it was GREAT). I eventually made my way back to the boat and took a nap even though I know I should not be sleeping in Turkey out of all places. Later on that night about 10 of us wanted to party but I couldn’t find a place so we ended up at a hookah bar/lounge. I did smoke a little bit but didn’t feel any effects so I felt it was a waste of my time so I stopped. After hookah a few of us went to the restaurant next door which had American music an w just danced and played with the locals until we were beyond exhausted.
Sunday July 19th
Today I had my first overnight yay! We got on the bus and basically rode for six hours stopping to see the Horse of Troy about two museums and of course the rest stops. These cities of Canakkle and Troy were both really beautiful, and from the shops I finally got my elephant for my mom. Candice, Elisha and I took a horse and carriage ride around the city of Canakkle for only 20 lira which equals about 15 American dollars, in Central Park it starts out at $75.
Monday July 20th
Today we got back on our bus at 8am and went to see a World War 1 site named Gallopoli. The grave yard was beautiful, preserved and well maintained, we then moved onto the Agean Sea and the water was Crystal clear, I was standing waist deep and could still see my toes. We soon enough took our six hour bus drive back to the city of Istanbul. I really felt like I spent majority of my time on the bus, but hey that is what I should expect for such a cheap overnight. When I got back my roomies and I went to an internet restaurant and that didn’t work so then a few of my other friends and I just went out to a hookah bar again, this time I did not participate in the festivities.
Tuesday July 21st
This is literally how my day went. I go on a tram to get on a ferry to get on a horse and carriage ride to walk around for 30minues to get back on a ferry to get back on a tram to walk back to the boat. Today I saw the princes isles, the scenery was quite nice even though the ferry ride was 90 minutes long. But overall no complaints because not many can say they spent a leisure day around turkey. Well no one besides the Turks that is! (ßhaha I made a funny )
Wednesday July 22nd
Today is our last day hereL I really did have a nice time and would more than love to come back. I decided that the last day would just be my day to get everything together. I woke up at my leisure and took the tram over to the grand Bazarr, after that I walked to the Blue Mosque and just took in the culture, then I walked to the spice market and finished up my shopping and to really just spend up the rest of my lira. When I think back, the mosque to me are interesting because men and women are not allowed to even pray together, they have complete separate sections, men pray out in the open and women are put to the back of the mosque in a sectioned off porportion. Anyways, after all of the “sightseeing” I just walked backto the boat. I took my time so I was able to get my thought together. I felt great being alone, not being rushed by anyone just a peaceful day.
Thursday July 23rd
Happy Birthday Triana, but today was just another day at sea…
Friday July 24th
Today I learned that semester at sea summer 09 is the first group to ever come to Bulgaria. I feel so privileged. My first day here was kind of blah not too much went on, I had an FDP is the Bulgaria Hydrodynamics center. This was the worst trip I have EVER been on. It was very dull and I honestly did not see what learning about waves had to do with international business. We had to tender for a proportion of the day and boy was that rough. The waters were not on our side, the tenders would should normally take about 20 minutes took about 45to get to the boat, we had people throwing up on the side of the boat, babies were crying it was all together very hectic. Even though we got back at 3pm I decided I was not taking any more chances with that tender and I stayed on the boat until it finally decided to dock against the pier. Around 11pm a group of us decided to go out clubbing being that we heard it was a party scene. Bulgaria had great clubs, it was surely a sight to see, it was club after club after club surrounding us. We ended up going to Copacabana and we truly enjoyed it.
Saturday July 25th
Balchik and Kalkara was the trip I had today. The trip was very scenic but also very hot. We got to see old fortress’, and beautiful gardens along the picturesque oceanfront. It was nothing spectacular but it was something I wouldn’t trade in to see, that night I decided hey imam stay on the boat and just watch movies and for the first time in a long time I was able to relax and catch up on work (not saying I finished it).
Sunday July 25th
Happy Birthday Grace
Today Tia, Courntey and I decided to go to Sands Resort, which is basically a nice Americanized resort in the forms of Bulgaria. Tia and I went Jet-Skiing as soon as we got there. This was amazing because riding them throughout the ocean was just amazing, I felt free like I had no boundaries well until the wind got a hold of us and I had to turn back around to head back to shore. After that we just laid on the beach and as they tanned I for the most part hid from the sun and just wrote postcards and slept. It is amazing how I guess I would call it American music is all the way over here. I have a new feeling that singers from the US make the majority of their money oversea. It was completely idolized in these countries. Anyways we then decided to get massages done on the beach. Oh my goodness what an experience. They basically lay you down take off your top and roll down you bottoms so that your crack is exposed and they massage you like no other. I felt like I had died and gone to heaven, ive gotten a lot of massages in my day but this one I will remember. I laid on the beach, heard the ocean hitting the sand right at my head, and just was taken to another world by the women in bikinis. The rest of the day was good as well we once again went clubbing, this time we went to out $1 kuna tequila shots which was fun because I had at least 8 and then we went on to try different mixed drinks then we went off to the Copacabana. Some of the crew happened to be there as well and we partied until 5am. Life on this boat can be stressful with all the many papers while still trying to live life off the boat but days like this just make me smile and realize I am beyond blessed.
Sunday July 26th
Today is our last day in Bulgaria and today I had a trip to the orphanage, it was really nice and I enjoyed the children. It amazed me that there were about 20 babies ages 6 weeks until 6 months and they laid there and did not cry to be picked up or tampered with. When I asked why they did not fussed my answer was beyond obvious but I dint realize how obvious it really was. The lady said that the babies there are trained because there are so many of them they do not have the privileged to be picked up constantly, and because they are on such a tight schedule, they are changed and fed at the same time everyday so that they do not have many needs. So a schedule is all it takes, so maybe these babies deep down know they are lucky to have be taken in so they don’t give too much trouble.
After this we were bought back to the boat and I decided to venture out alone again to in hopes find shot glasses for Maquia and my magnets that I am collecting. I ended up finding a post office and was able to complete my postcards, I then went to the shopping areas found a cute little market and I was able to buy everything I had originally came to find. I went into mango to hopefully find a nice outfit and I ran into Courtney, we ended up spending the rest of the day together. We even found a grocery store and we bought a few items to last us in case we didn’t find any stores in Egypt.
Monday July 27th & Tuesday July 28th
These two days are at sea days and being that we have been on one day and off one day we really hit the books this time so not too much excitement went on but tomorrow I will be in AFRICA the freakin’ MOTHERLAND I am just too excited so ill def write more then…
Wednesday July 29th
I am in EGYPT!!!! Out of all the ports I have actually learned about this port. I have some connection where I can look at the word and a tear actually comes to my eyes. Today Shani, Shanae, two other girls we met along the way and I went to the catacombs, pompay’s pillar and the library. The day was quite cheap and the library offered an hour of internet, so we all got on the internet and I saw some really distributing news. I realized that people who you really think are there for you really do not have your best at interest. But I realized that on this trip, people are going through so much more in the world then I am, and that all that I stress over is not worth the stress, and I am on a trip of a lifetime that millions of people hope for, and I need to take that into mind every time I have any type of petty issue an realize that I am beyond blessed.
Thursday July 30th
Today I had my jeep safari and camel ride it was amazing…Basically the bus took us to Cairo, we went and saw the pyramids, and the sphinx then we were had our jeep safari within the sand dunes and that was amazing, bumpy but amazing. Finally the jeep safari took us to my camel ride. My camel leader was Muhammad Ahan. He was 25 and was not married because he could not afford to give the father any land or money. He was really nice and the whole time we talked and he even let me run with the camel by myself. The day was followed by the step pyramid and lots of other tombs.
Friday July 31st
Alexandria is a really nice city. I spent July 31st around the main town Not too much excitement if I may say. I had my own “personal” cab driver. He was a life saver; he took us to the train station, took us all the way inside and helped us get our tickets. It was very chaotic and without him I feel as if it would not have been possible, actually it would have been possible, it would have just taken a lot more effort and time than it did with him helping us.
Saturday August 1st
Today a group of us took the train at 8am to Cairo, we went to the museum in which King Tut’s caskets and belongings were in, we went on a fluka around the Nile and we went to the bazzar of Ciaro. We even found a McDonald that was VERY GOOD! The group of us were beyond happy to have found it because we were all hungry but were scared of the local food in fear of getting TD (Traveler’s diarrhea). We eventually finished what we had come to Cairo to explore and we met some other SAS’ers at the train station but when we arrived back in Alexandria our cab driver came an picked us up and we basically just chilled on theboat.
Sunday August 2nd
Today was a very relaxing day I slept in until about noon, About three of us caught a cab to a WalMart/Costco type grocery store called Carrefour, and we basically racked up for the 10 day trip back to the United States. After that we came back to the ship and I shopped for some more for gifts around the port and this was my time in Egypt. I felt really nice knowing that I have finally made it to Africa; it was something I am really privileged to have experienced at such a young age. Seeing the pyramids was actually something I learned about at such a young age, and to actually be able to see it for my own eyes opened up a real realization for me. This is one of the only countries that I did not see as “Americanized” and from an African-Americans point of view I really appreciate it. Kyla has finally been to Africa…
August 3rd & 4th
These two days have been quite dull class days and nothing to exciting. On the 4th at night we had the crew talent show The show was amazing! The crew is really talented and my favorite performance was when one of the crew from the cleaning department decided to be Beyonce and did single ladies! Later on that night we had casino night. It was really fun I played bingo and black jack. I ended with 22 tickets and I thought that was a lot but when I cashed in people had 100’s of tickets. Way to shoot my hopes down.
Wednesday August 5th
Today was the auction day. There was a silent auction in the day time and basically you went around to the tables and wrote what you wanted and how much you wanted to bid on it, sort of like Ebay. At 8am there was the Live auction, SAS raised over 25,000 with the silent auction alone. The most expensive trip sold was two trips to Pakistan for a week and when you get there all expenses paid for. The person who gave that item’s name is Sha’zan he basically is rich because his family owns multiple businesses.
August 6th & 7th
These two days once again were just on ship days today the 7th we stopped in gibiltar once again to stop and bunker or get fuel. Other than that today was our LAST PREPORT! A very exciting but sad realization for all of us but tomorrow we will be in our final country of the voyage Morocco. This will be bittersweet but until next time, sorry it took me so long to post these but shit life can get very hectic.
