The first Eastern European country that I'm visiting, Bulgaria is a surprise! Bulgarian is a member of the Slavic linguistic group, where the writings would remind you immediately of it's Balkan roots. I visited only the capital of Bulgaria - Sofia.
The streets of Sofia are really beautiful with interesting architecture lining the them.
Sofia is also one of the best-value places. Having a beer in a nice cafe in the park cost just one euro (approximately S$2).
A beautiful mix of the East and the West. Geographically located on both Asian and European soil, Turkey's interesting culture could be felt once you step into the country. It's a pity that I didn't have enough time to see most of Turkey this time round but what I've seen tells me that this is an amazing country.
Traditional agriculture is still one of the major pillars of the Turkish economy. Turkey is one of the few countries that produce not only enough for their own consumption but for exports as well. As I travelled across the country, you could see these really fresh produce in the shops and markets.
Istanbul is one of my favourite cities! It's the only city that I've visited on this trip that I said "WOW! I would really love to live here!" This is the centre of Istanbul - Taksim Square. I felt really safe in Istanbul while I was there. You guys have probably read/seen it on the news,this is the exact location of the bomb that exploded on 31 Oct 2010.
I spent a few days at the very beautiful Mediterranean Sea to rest and recuperate for the journey ahead. If you guys could recall, I was skyping with you guys and trying to show you how clear the sea is! :)
In Arabic: عيد ميلاد سعيد
The Iraqi region of Kurdistan (also known as Land of Kurds) is located in Northern Iraq. Research has been done to ensure that the region is safe and stable before the getting onto the bus. After Jordan and Syria, Iraq didn't excite me as much. Prices were also much higher than in the previous two countries and most times the quality didn't reflect in the prices at all. But still, it is an adventure visiting this 'warzone' country! You would feel really safe in this part of the country and there was never a time that I felt any danger (from terrorists). The only dangerous issue would be the way the taxi drivers sped through the weaving roads in the valleys.
I thought this would make an interesting photo...Have you ever seen anything 'Made in Iraq'? :)
You just need to make a left turn to get into warzone...or if you would like to get yourself on the news maybe! Turn left to Baghdad.
In Arabic: عيد ميلاد سعيد
It's not what you think! For many, images of overflowing terrorists would first come to mind at the mention of Syria. On contrary, you could only meet the friendliest people! Syrians are very welcoming to everyone! Food is amazing in this country. It is here that I had the best schwarma (kebab), ice-cream and so much more! With so much to do, friendly people and good food, Syria is one of my favourite countries to visit!
I'm not kidding when I say the best Souqs (markets) you could find in Middle East is in Damascus! Of course, that being said, I have to admit that I've only been to Jordan, Syria, Turkey and Iraq. But I'm sure nowhere would be able to beat this - the best nuts-coated ice-cream at this unbelievable price found in the Souq in Damascus!
Ruins unlimited - There are just so so many ruins site that you can visit in Syria. This is just one of the sites that I visited - Palmyra. Palmyra is an important ancient city in central Syria. And yes, mummy, see? I'm drinking lots of water! :)
Read more here.
In Arabic: عيد ميلاد سعيد
Images of the desert, women in burkas, bedouins, kebabs pop into my mind when I imagine the Middle East. Not so far from what I imagined, but much much more. Jordan is the first country I visited in the Middle East.
Wadi Rum also known as The Valley of the Moon is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in south Jordan. This area of Jordan is quite isolated and largely inhospitable to settled life. The only permanent inhabitants are several thousand Bedouin nomads and villagers.
Read more here.
Jordan is almost completely land-locked, save for a small outlet on the Red Sea in the Gulf of Aqaba and a frontage on the Dead Sea. The photo above shows the Red Sea in Aqaba (south end of the country). The amazing thing here is that you could see Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Israel while standing on Jordanian soil. 4-in-1! :) And the photo below shows me floating in the Dead Sea (also called Salt Sea). Its surface and shores are 422 metres below sea level, the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface on dry land. And boy, you could REALLY float in here!
In Hindi: जन्मदिन मुबारक हो
One of the most incredible things that you would first notice in India would be the filth! You get hit in all your senses and it seems like there's nowhere you could escape to. I think India would be one of the last places on earth that you (mummy) would want to visit, so here I am, sharing with you how it's like. Though you could only truly feel it when you are there yourself.
Smell: Like what I mentioned, you can never imagine how dirty a country could be till you see it with your very own eyes.
Hearing: "Puri! Puri! Puri!" "Chai! Chai! Chai!" "Chello! Chello! Chello!" These are the constant sounds that you would hear all the time, not forgetting the constant honking from the crazy traffic. Vendors on the train selling food, tea and every other thing you could think of. Bus conductors in the bus stations shouting 'go! go! go!'.
Taste: Spices were among the most demanded and expensive products in Europe since the Middle Ages and India has been famous for its spices even from early historical periods. Foods of India are known for its spiciness. Throughout India, be it North India or South India, spices are used generously in food. Spices that would tease your tongue and your sense of taste. Tastes that you never knew existed with the exotic spices used.
Touch: Everything in the shops seemed to be covered in this thick layer of dust (from the road) that you wouldn't like to touch anything. Shop vendors always have a piece of cloth where they use it to dust off that thick white layer before handing over that bottle of mineral water to you.
Sight: With one third of the poorest people in India, you could almost see poverty everywhere you go.
Known for its tea, Sri Lanka is the world's fourth largest producer of tea. You could see tea fields after tea fields as you travel through the country. I took the Mountain train ride and found myself surrounded by these plantations that give jobs to over 1 million people in the country.
Read more here.
Also known for its beautiful beaches, Sri Lanka is a popular destination for surfers. I'm here, standing on a cliff, strong waves and rocks are what you could see when you peek beyond that step. But here they are, ever enterprising locals, encouraging you to take a leap (of cos, they charge you). I didn't do it, it's too scary for me. But I stood on the 'jump' sign and had a chat with the enterprising Sri Lankan.
"Wouldn't you hit the rocks down there if you jumped?!" I asked him...
