When I pictured Dubai, I envisioned a hot dry place where desert sands brush up against soaring skyscrapers.

I had no idea there were mountains. Please guys, tell me I am not alone in imagining this, right?

When my alarm started to sound around 4am one morning during my two week trip to Dubai a few months ago, I groaned and whined, not wanting to get up for another sunrise shoot.

I hate early mornings, something not particularly conducive with someone wanting a career involving photography. For most landscape photographers, their days revolve around the soft beautiful light of sunrise and sunset, where my best mornings involve no alarms and soft feather beds.

Sigh.

But I was dragged from my comfortable bed in the big city (and boy are they comfortable beds) to head out on a promise of sunrise in the mountains.

Mountains in the desert of Dubai? Wait, I’m confused.

The only benefit (in my opinion) of getting up so early in the morning is that the humid summer sun has yet heat the surrounding deserts, keeping everything comfortably cool, and even more so in the Al Hajar Mountains (The Stony Mountains) where we were headed on the border with Oman.

Dubai is so photogenic (check out my favorite photos here) and I couldn’t wait to see a side of this UAE metropolis few knew about.

I dozed on and off in the front seat of our SUVs on the way out of the city, finally waking up as we made our way off the highway onto backcountry dirt mountain roads.

I could just see the silhouettes of the mountains against the inky black sky that was slowly shifting to dark blue. They seemed to jut out of nowhere, straight from the ground, and not for the first time I was hit with the feeling that we were on Mars.

There’s no two ways about it, these mountains felt out of this world!

After living in New Zealand for a few years, I have truly come to appreciate the natural beauty of mountains. For some reason I can’t explain, I have always been drawn to mountains, no matter where I am in the world.

Getting to see these mountains around Dubai blew me away, and not because they were so impressive. To be honest, nothing can really compare with the mountains where I live in Wanaka, but the Al Hajar Mountains had their own kind of beauty, especially because they exist in a place where people don’t seem to realize they are there.

I’d almost argue that these mountains are probably Dubai’s best-kept secret. So be cool guys. Don’t go blabbing about them, deal?

Dubai is busy and big, modern and new, and to be fair, it’s not a place most people visit for nature. But if you are like me and are drawn to the natural side of the world, you can even find it here in Dubai.

I can’t believe these mountains are only an hour or so drive away from downtown Dubai.

After days of intense humid heat that comes with visiting Dubai in September, it felt so good to pile out of the car and feel cool night air on our faces. We stopped just as the sky started to lighten, each wandering off in a different direction scouting locations for sunrise.

I snapped a few photos here and there but I was mostly focused on the mountains. It felt like I was in Star Trek or something – the landscape felt otherworldly.

After the sun was fully up, we regrouped and headed down another “road” to a local waterfall and watering hole. This area seemed to be a popular spot with locals to cool down, swim, camp and hangout.

It was already getting pretty hot and it was hard to resist jumping in the water, but we made friends with some locals who tried to outdo each other and impress us but doing some bombs off the cliffs. Considering Dubai is about 90% expats, I was impressed we had the opportunity to hang out with some locals.

They walked back with us to the cars, pointing out some of the birds and local lizards, excited to share a piece of their home with strangers. These are my favorite moments when traveling, what about you?

Did you know Dubai had mountains? Would you like to explore this part of Dubai?

Many thanks to Dubai Tourism for hosting me in the UAE and thank you Lauren Bath for inspiring me and making me part of the team. Like always, I’m keeping it real, like you can expect less from me. 

The post Surprise! Dubai has mountains! appeared first on Young Adventuress.

I am fresh off the plane from 2 weeks in Dubai and my mind is still reeling. It is not often that I visit a place only to have every expectation of mine blown out of the water. Everything I though I knew about this sprawling metropolis in the Middle East was wrong and I learned more than one lesson of not to judge a book by its cover.

It seems to me that the theme of Dubai itself is that anything is possible. How can such a place exist and have been imagined into reality?

To say Dubai is beautiful is a massive understatement. It has its own complex beauty that, to be fair, took the nature photographer in me a few days to truly begin to appreciate.

To be perfectly honest, I didn’t know what I was going to think of Dubai. I am not *really* a city girl but I have always tried to keep an open mind while traveling. Luckily, it didn’t take long to wow me into submission. Fangirl over here.

A photo posted by Lauren Bath (@laurenepbath) on Oct 5, 2015 at 8:22am PDT

I was privileged enough to explore Dubai with 9 other inspirational Instagrammers which was a huge opportunity for me to learn and grow as a photographer.

You guys know I love the ‘gram, so I couldn’t resist putting together my first Dubai post of my favorite shots of mine from the trip and also from the guys who joined me there (be sure to give them a follow for more epic travel imagery). If you follow me on Snapchat (YoungAdventures) or on Instagram, you will already have seen some of this travel goodness, otherwise you can check out my friend Matt’s daily vlog here from the trip, in which you might catch a glimpse of my face, as hard as I tried to avoid it.

Are you ready for a visual overload? You’ve been warned. Here are 25 photos that will make you want to head to Dubai STAT. 

The Burj Khalifa

I feel like you can’t begin a post about Dubai without mentioning the most iconic building in the city – the Burj Khalifa. The world’s tallest building, the Burj, dominates the Dubai skyline, and I mean dominates. I couldn’t believe how far back I had to lean back to see to the top when I was by the mall.

I caught my first glimpse of the Burj during the drive from the airport to my hotel in the desert in the sunrise, and I could just see the top of it blinking above the predawn haze, like a rocketship about to be launched. It was so astonishing, I popped quickly up from my 36 hour travel lethargy to say “oh shit” and scare the crap out of the driver who thought I was sleeping.

Did I mention it’s impressive?

The view from the Burj Khalifa

If a view of the Burj itself doesn’t tickle your fancy enough to hop on the next 14 hour flight to Dubai, the view from the 124th floor will. If you only do one activity in Dubai, let this be the one. And my oh my did we get lucky when it was our turn to step into those elevators. 

Very rarely, usually between seasons, the weather shifts enough to blanket Dubai in cloud and fog, that eventually burns off with the heat of the day. And sure enough when we stepped outside on the viewing platform, the fog began to roll in and cover the skyscrapers in cloud, making for the most epic photos you could ever wish for. Thank you weather!

I don’t think I’ve ever seen photographers so giddy!

A video posted by Matthew Vandeputte (@matjoez) on Oct 5, 2015 at 1:54am PDT

The people

For me, the most valuable and important thing I learned in Dubai was about the culture and the people. More on this coming soon, but I can safely say every stereotype I had imagined for the UAE was utterly and completely wrong.

The people there are just incredible.

A photo posted by Melissa Findley (@melissafindley) on Oct 2, 2015 at 10:42pm PDT

The Al Hajar Mountains

I almost don’t want to spill this secret, but I trust you guys are cool. Did you know that Dubai has mountains? Nope, me neither. I’m not going to lie, my image of Dubai before this trip was sand and skyscrapers.

So when my alarm beeped at the ungodly hour of 3:30 in the morning to head out of the city to the nearby Al Hajar Mountains for sunrise (this is what happens when you travel with photographers) I knew I was going to see something special and unexpected, which is pretty much the only thing besides coffee to get me up that early.

As the sky began to change from purple to gold, the surrounding mountains began to emerge from the darkness transporting us to what felt like the moon. Dubai, you’re full of surprises.

A photo posted by Hailey Bartholomew (@haileybe) on Oct 3, 2015 at 9:35pm PDT

A photo posted by Rob Mulally (@robmulally) on Oct 5, 2015 at 1:23pm PDT

The luxurious hotels

If there is one place in this world to treat yourself and splurge, it’s Dubai.

I’ve never seen so many 5 star hotels in one place before, and many of them are the same price as a regular hotel here in New Zealand. So save your pennies and check yourself in somewhere fancy next time you are in the big city. In Dubai even luxury can be affordable.

And oh my giddy god do the hotels have the absolute best breakfasts ever?! Thankfully I packed my leggings and stretch pants.

A photo posted by Li-Chi Pan ☁️ (@lichipan) on Oct 6, 2015 at 12:47am PDT

Falcons

There are many traditions in the United Arab Emirates, but none so protected or respected as falconry.

You guys know I am a #BirdNerd, so I couldn’t resist the opportunity to hold a beautiful falcon in Dubai. I have a photo of my mom when she was young holding a hawk in Virginia where she volunteered rescuing birds and releasing them back into the wild.

The world’s biggest falcon hospital is in Abu Dhabi, and falcons in the Emirates all have passports and fly business class cage-free on Emirates. What do I have to do to get that kind of treatment?

Dubai by night

I don’t think I have ever said a place is more beautiful at night, but it’s DEFINITELY true for Dubai. The city comes alive as soon as the sun goes down and the temperatures drop, and all the buildings become on beautiful colorful show.

Whoever imagined the lighting of Dubai deserves an award because it’s spectacular.

Whether you are watching the fountain shows in front of the Burj or talk your way up to a private presidential suite of a fancy skyscraper or just hang out with your friends at one of the many high rise hotel bars with a view, do not sleep through Dubai after dark. Trust me on this one.

  A photo posted by Jarrad Seng (@jarradseng) on Oct 8, 2015 at 7:53pm PDT

Camel ice-cream

Self-explanatory. Opinions on flavor were divided. I didn’t hate it.

The Souks around Old Dubai

Guys, you know I love old stuff, so I jumped at the chance to visit the souks, markets and winding narrow streets of old Dubai. This was more of the Middle East I imagined and was familiar with.

Bright colors, smells of spices, more pashminas or hookahs than I ever need; this was my favorite part of town.

Shake Shack

I’m American guys, bear with me. I know this will be the most controversial thing I say in this post, but Shake Shack are the best fast food burgers in America and OMG the are everywhere in Dubai!

I haven’t sunk my teeth into one since I was in NYC in the spring of 2013 (yes I remember that), so obviously I went three times when I was in Dubai and I wholeheartedly suggest you do too.

#Burgerporn

A photo posted by Tara Milk Tea ? (@taramilktea) on Oct 8, 2015 at 10:20pm PDT

The desert

I have to finish with the most iconic imagery of Dubai and the UAE – the desert.

This city was built from nothing into one of the most beautiful skylines in the world in a place people thought impossible. I could watch the red sand blow around the dunes for days and never get bored. What a site!

I will always be a nature girl at heart so this is one of my favorite memories of Dubai. Can I go back now? Just maybe when it’s a little less hot.

Have you been to Dubai? Are you curious about the Middle East? Have I convinced you to visit yet?

A photo posted by Lauren Bath (@laurenepbath) on Oct 7, 2015 at 7:04pm PDT

A photo posted by Kyle Te Kiwi || Photographer (@bare_kiwi) on Oct 4, 2015 at 11:21pm PDT

Many thanks to Dubai Tourism for hosting me in the UAE and thank you Lauren Bath for inspiring me and making me part of the team. Like always, I’m keeping it real, like you can expect less from me. 

The post 25 photos that will inspire you to visit Dubai appeared first on Young Adventuress.

It was a hazy hot day when we were introduced to Jordan’s capital, Amman.

It’s a bustling, lively city where tradition meets modernity. Clad in a long flowing dress and light cardigan, I spent the morning exploring the Citadel and the most ancient part of the city. Nothing puts me in a great mood quite like historical travel.

Nerd alert!

Be warned, it only goes downhill from here in terms of my geekiness.

After sitting down for tea and lunch outside a pigeon pet store (don’t ask –  I have no idea) our blog group had a decision to make regarding our afternoon itinerary. Explore the local markets and souks or get to see the Dead Sea Scrolls at the new Jordan Museum.

I love shopping as much as the next girl, but once you’ve been to several souks, they all start to blend together. “No thank you, I don’t need a $10,000 Persian carpet.” “I’m sorry, I can’t fit that hookah in my carry-on.” and my personal favorite, “Only one thousand camels? Seriously, I’m worth at least 10 times that!”

Sigh, I can already feel the hate comments start to roll in, but I defend what I write – I’ve been to heaps of markets across northern Africa and the Middle East, and they are pretty much all the same.

Anyways, surprise surprise, everyone voted for the markets! Travel bloggers can be so predictable sometimes.

Standing up with my hands on my hips, I said something along the lines of, “the Dead Sea Scrolls are some of the OLDEST biblical texts in the ENTIRE world and they are right here in Amman! How can you not want to see 2,400 year old scrolls that are the oldest copies of the Bible in existence?!”

Total. Silence. Well, except for pigeons cooing in the background. In fact, I don’t think anyone even heard me, except for one of the guides and the pigeons.

Honest to god I will never understand people.

I repeat – the Dead Sea Scrolls quite possibly are the most important archaeological manuscripts to be found in the 2oth century.

Accidentally discovered by a Bedouin shepherd in the caves in Qumran in the West Bank near the Dead Sea in the 40’s and 50’s, the Dead Sea Scrolls are pretty much the earliest written accounts of the (Hebrew) Bible. That’s a big freaking deal!

I LOVE reading about these kinds of discoveries and archaeological finds; I often imagine what it must have been like to stumble upon something so priceless and historically valuable.

Image Source

Image source

Let’s just step back in time for a minute and put ourselves in Bedouin shepherd Muhammed Edh-Dhib’s shoes (if he was even wearing shoes) when accidentally fell into one of these caves in 1946 and found these jars of random papyrus that he sold for under $40.

I mean my god, can you imagine?

Why this hasn’t been made into a featured Indiana-Jones-style movie is beyond me.

And to make matters even more EXCITING, of the 981 mostly papyrus and parchment scrolls found in the Judaean Desert only one, I repeat ONE was made of copper. And guess where that one can be found?

Amman!

Talk about special! Still unconvinced, my comrades still preferred the market. Shakes head.

So while everyone else wandered off to brush up on their bartering skills, I managed to drag one of our guides off to the museum with me. I like to pretend he was excited to see the unique-amazing-one-of-a-kind-copper-scrolls as I was.

Under a serious time crunch with the museum closing shortly, we rushed to try to make it there before the doors shut. Literally.

Crawling in the back of a taxi, we made our way to the Jordan Museum to see the scrolls. And by made our way, I mean get totally lost for an hour while I hyperventilated in the back of the car freaking out that I was missing my chance to witness history.

With Flo Rida blaring in the background about furry boots and apple bottom jeans, we zigzagged around all the main streets in downtown Amman looking for this damn museum.

As it turns out, the Jordan Museum is brand spanking new, so new in fact, it hadn’t officially opened yet and was operating under very limited hours when it was open to the public.

Of course, not knowing where something is does not deter Jordanian taxi drivers from trying to take you where you need to go. It just means a lot of pulling over and chatting to fellow taxi drivers with a lot of hand signals and me understanding NOTHING and grinding my teeth in the backseat.

Finally we pulled into the parking lot of the museum 15 minutes after closing time only to be ushered around to the back lot to wait. This would be the first of many hoops that afternoon.

Hopping out of the taxi, the guide S, me and the taxi driver (for some reason decided to stick around to see what happens) tried to explain what was going on to security guard number 1. Cue lots of Arabic, hand gestures, smoking (none from me) along with one crazy loud American blonde in a rainbow dress smiling and nodding a lot.

I swear to god, smiling will get you pretty far, especially when men are involved. I smiled so hard and for so long that afternoon I thought my face was going to break.

Eventually security guard number 2 came out and talked to us and we (and by we, I mean S) explained what was going on while I just smiled and nodded enthusiastically.

After more waiting around a manager or office person came out and talked to us, this time I could contribute to the conversation explaining my situation without using the world blogger (my god, can you imagine?) and we were invited inside.

Bidding farewell to my new taxi driver friend, we made our way through the bowels of the museum to the offices. Expecting to see behind the scenes skeletons, dusty wooden boxes and hidden treasure maps haphazardly thrown around the room, I was mildly disappointed to discover that offices are universally boring around the world. It even smelled bureaucratic.

After a lot of phone calls, and me becoming increasingly more desperate, I decided to just run with it.

No shame, I would see these scrolls or die trying, and I began “elaborating” my position. It’s not lying if there’s some truth to it, right?

According to office man, the person in charge of dispensing permission to let me see the scrolls after hours was off. As it turns out, it was Orthodox Easter and the boss was off work celebrating. Just my luck!

“This doesn’t look good for you,” office man stated several times, in a very pessimistic, nonchalant way. Glaring at him momentarily it took all my self control not scream “just let me see the goddamn scrolls!”

Be cool, Liz. Be professional. Play nice.

But I mean seriously, how many people under the age of 60 want to see these scrolls as badly as me? I reckon none.

Cue more phone calls and more waiting.

I hate waiting by the way. I have the attention span of a toddler.

Time is a very fluid concept in Jordan. As I glanced at the clock, I realized it had been almost 3 hours since we hopped in the cab trying to get to the museum.

Personally I think this was a tactical maneuver on the part of Jordanian officials to get me excited about seeing the scrolls. They wouldn’t keep me waiting for so long only to say no, right?

I started smiling even more, if that’s possible.

With the clock literally ticking, I was starting to get desperate. What could I say to let me in to see the scrolls?

“I also write for National Geographic.”

Oh my god, why WHY did that just come out of my mouth? What is wrong with me?

Resisting temptation to physically clamp my hands over my mouth and rescind that statement, I really started to freak out. I’ve never actually written for NatGeo; I have been featured by them a handful of times and I’ve had drinks with some of their crew in DC, but that’s it. Oops.

Eventually the phone rang again and with it came the permission I needed. God knows what the pessimistic office worker told him, but as it turns out he was on Team Liz. Wahoo!

I actually hi-fived his secretaries on the way out of the office! True jubilation!

And we were off to see the scrolls. At this point, I had a shadow of about 10 people trailing behind me as we made our way towards the glorious scrolls.

Am I just showing my nerdiness again or do all kids dream about getting to explore a museum after hours? With the lights dimmed around the various exhibits, I started to have a total From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler moment and would drift off towards the darker corners only to be ushered back in line towards the scrolls.

I guess I don’t want to push my luck. 

 Image Source

Image Source

And then finally, there we were, in front of the thick glass that protected the curved copper scrolls. Pushing my nose on the glass, I spent a solid 20 minutes staring at each and every scroll, trying to take a mental picture and observe them the best I could.

Because the scrolls are copper, they couldn’t be unrolled which means that had to be sliced, leaving you with these curved, copper pieces. Unlike many of the other scrolls that are biblical texts, the copper scrolls are written in a more colloquial Hebrew listing locations where gold and silver are buried.

That’s right, the copper scrolls list out buried treasure. EVEN COOLER, am I right?!

All to soon, I had to say goodbye to these magnificent artifacts and make my way back outside in the hot Jordanian sun. I think the adventure of getting to see the scrolls made it all the more exciting and worthwhile, don’t you?

Just keep smiling!

Have you been to Jordan? Now tell me, are you Team Market or Team Dead Sea Scrolls – be honest!

A million thanks to the Jordan Museum for putting up with me and letting me in after hours without any advance notice and for understanding my love for such important historical artifacts. Also thanks to My Jordan Journey for hosting me in Jordan – like always I’m keeping it real – all opinions are my own!

The post Smooth Talking in Amman, Jordan appeared first on Young Adventuress.

One of the most frequent questions I get asked nowadays is what’s my favorite country.

Um, is it just me or is that the hardest question in the world?! Don’t ask me that – it’s like picking a favorite child…out of around 30….

I guess I’ve been busy!

Places stand out for me for many different reasons, and there’s rarely been I place that I seriously didn’t enjoy. But it’s like comparing apples to oranges, and I hate to exclude anyone so I usually answer, well, “I loved Iceland, but Spain has my heart, and OMG Italy you just can’t beat, but Jordan is absolutely incredible…” the list goes on and on as I evade the question.

I love everything, ok?! What can I say?

But there is one country that’s always in the back of my mind, a place I don’t think always gets the attention it deserves, and depending on how hungry I am when asked the dreaded “favorite country” questions, it usually is the first one out of my mouth.

Turkey.

I can hardly believe that 10 months have gone by since I traveled to Turkey on what would become the beginning of my journey to becoming a professional travel blogger – whatever THAT means.

Turkey has gotten a lot of shit this past year in the media, but you know what? It is STILL one of my all-time favorite countries. Now I know I just completely undermined my own authority in offering advice about favorite countries, but let me just say, I love Turkey.

And a solid 70% of my love of this east-meets-west country is rooted in food. Turkish food is phe-NOM-e-nal – see what I did there?

Noms.

I might get a lot of hate for this, but I feel confident shouting out loud that Turkey is generally considered to be a summer destination, or at least “warm weather” destination. From the sexy coastline to hiking activities, at least for me, I usually thought of going to Turkey when it was warm enough to swim somewhere pretty and get a tan.

Boy was I wrong.

Not only is Turkey fucking stunning in winter, I would even argue that it’s BETTER visited in the colder months.

I know, I know, I know. Hear me out.

While the same can be said for places around the world, here are my thoughts on why Turkey shouldn’t be overlooked in winter. 

1. It’s significantly cheaper

Prepare to have your mind blown. Are you ready?

The reason I decided to head to Turkey in February was because I was searching for cheap getaways on Skyscanner, and it popped up.

Washington D.C. – Istanbul, round-trip on Lufthansa, Friday afternoon to the following Sunday afternoon

$391

ROUND-TRIP!!

Holy crap! Those are 2008 prices! When you see a deal that good, there is only one thing you do, click buy and don’t look back!

And it only gets better from there.

Traveling in Turkey in February is incredibly cheap because it’s the major off-season. This means that hotels are discounted significantly – in fact, most hotels offer a winter-summer price list. The same goes for tours, restaurants and activities. There is usually a discount for booking in the winter.

I’m not talking about a measly $20-$30 off, I mean like a 75% reduction.

And I don’t know about you guys, but I love a discount!

2. It’s empty

If there is one thing I hate when traveling, it’s crowds. Not a fan.

Large groups of people make me anxious. Large groups of idiot cruise ship tourists (which is pretty much all of western Turkey in the summer) make me want to go hide somewhere and never come out again.

But in winter? No cruises! No idiots! Turkey is empty except for Turkish people and some brave foreigners.

The perks of visiting a popular destination in off-season are endless. Less crowds means no waiting in line. For example, to visit the famous Hagia Sofia even in winter has a line, but I went early and waited about 5 minutes. I can ONLY imagine how lovely that gets in the summertime.

I loved getting lost in the back streets of Istanbul with only a few mangy cats for company. I loved hiking all over Cappadocia and not seeing a single soul. I loved exploring the ancient city of Ephesus with about 10 other people.

For me, you can’t beat traveling halfway across the world to a gorgeous historic and fabulous country AND feel like you have the place to yourself. It was as if I rented Turkey for a week and it was all for me.

3. It’s easier to meet locals

Because you aren’t fighting tooth and nail to get around large crowds of tourists, this means you are much more likely to have a more local and authentic experience, if that’s your jam – I know it is for me!

The natives are friendlier because they aren’t jaded from listening to hundreds of tourists ask where they can buy good carpets and thus are much more likely to talk to you.

Maybe because I was traveling alone, but I found Turks to be some of the most inviting and hospitable people I’ve ever encountered on the road. I made friends everywhere I went, and I really enjoyed learning about the culture and history from complete strangers and people I just happened to meet on the road.

I make a point of trying to do this wherever I travel, and I can tell you firsthand, it is much more difficult to do in places crowded with tourists and visitors.

From getting my fortune read in the famous coffee dregs in Turkish to learning to cook traditional dishes in the home of the owner Turkish Flavours to making pottery with local artisans in Cappadocia to learning to weave near Ephesus, I felt like I really got to experience some truly local moments, and that makes all the difference for me.

4. It’s absolutely gorgeous

Again, when I envisioned Turkey over the past few years, my mind was plastered with images of rocky beaches, crystalline waters, and endless sunshine.

It’s so much more than that.

My first day in Cappadocia, I was touring around with Middle Earth Travel, and I was completely knackered because I got up at the crack of dawn to go hot air ballooning but it was cancelled because of the winds. It was a blustery cloudy day outside, nothing special, and I fell asleep with my face smooshed against the glass window of the van as we drove to the next site.

When I woke up, the world had gone white. Apparently I had died and gone to Narnia.

The landscape was covered in crisp, fresh snow, and boy, if I didn’t think Cappadocia was magical before, I did now.

Being me, I immediately blurted out, “STOP THE VAN,” so we could get out and take photos.

Seeing this ancient land, completely bereft of people and covered in a soft layer of snow was not something I’d likely soon forget.

Absolutely silent and peaceful, standing there in that vast white countryside, I realized  how happy I was with choosing Turkey to travel to in winter.

And it only got better over the next two days where I spent outside exploring Cappadocia in the snow, especially seeing it from the skies hot air ballooning at dawn. Somehow getting to see it covered in snow made it all the more special and memorable, knowing it was an occurrence that few got to witness.

Visiting Turkey in February was eye-opening in many respects, but perhaps the biggest take-away I left with was having my eyes opened to visiting a place outside of the standard tourist calendar. Have you ever been surprised by a place like that?

Have you ever been to Turkey? Would you consider going in winter? Have you ever to a popular tourist destination way outside of the off season? What did you think? Spill!

The post Don’t Underestimate Turkey in Winter appeared first on Young Adventuress.

Travel isn’t always rainbows and unicorns.

As much as travel bloggers love to paint the world as a technicolor bomb of beauty, friendship, and once-in-a-lifetime-experiences, let’s be honest here, shit happens. Shit ALWAYS happens. In fact, I’d go as far as to say shit is 10 times more LIKELY to happen when you’re on the road than when you’re safe at home. But isn’t that why we love to travel? To test ourselves, to push our comfort zones and get outside the proverbial box?

And when shit strikes, it makes for a great story later, right? Right?

But I digress. Speaking as one who attracts incidents like moths to a flame, at this point in my traveling career, there are some activities I should JUST not be allowed to participate in. Riding animals that have a mind of their own should be at the top of that list.

Now I’ve been called many things in my life – motivated, smartass, quirky- but graceful? Um, never. Not once. Ever. Nope.

As much as I wish being poised, balanced and elegant was part of my character, unfortunately, I was handed other talents at birth – like talking myself out of tickets and having double-jointed knees, neither of which have been much use to me on the road.

It was a miracle I survived riding donkeys around Petra, so I know I was pushing my luck thinking I could go two for two and riding camels in the desert, though I feel like I should preface this by saying that I actually have camel riding experience, which is why I didn’t see this coming.

Expert camel riders over here in Giza

Exhibiting my gracefulness or lack thereof in Petra – in indication of what’s to come

Let me set the scene for you

The end of our trip in Jordan took place in the magical desert of Lawrence of Arabia, the famous Wadi Rum.

We spent the evening before exploring this lunar landscape in the back of a 4×4 followed up with a sleepless night of cooking and dancing at a Bedouin camp, smoking hubbly bubbly (hookah) and watching the stars twinkling in the inky black sky.

While the boys had an impromptu soccer match the next morning after breakfast, I snuck out behind the tents to take photos of the camels tied up waiting for our morning jaunt around Wadi Rum.

I should have known shit was going to hit the fan later when one of them tried to bite me.

As we were assigned our respective camels, I hefted myself up with as much grace and poise as I could muster (i.e. none) and tried to situate myself as best I could for our walk, while holding on for dear life. If the fact that this camel tried to bite me a few minutes before wasn’t enough of a sign, I should have noticed the look it gave me while I wiggled around trying to get comfortable.

Great, I got the cheeky camel. Typical.

Biting back a yell as my camel awkwardly stood up, I started to get excited to see more of the desert in the daytime. And off we went!

All the girls started ooh-ing and ahh-ing over a baby camel that trotted along beside us. Baby camels are cute and fluffy and look like they have little poofy mohawks. Adult camels? Not so much. They are sneaky bastards that will spit on you or bite you as soon as look at you. And they don’t smell so pleasant either. Don’t trust them.

Since we were in such a big group, at least 20 people or so, they split us into two camel trains, with everyone tied up behind another camel, with one of the camel drivers leading us on. Unfortunately, I don’t think they were paying attention to the fact that I got assigned the mischievous camel, and since I was the last in my train, they had tied my camel and another camel to the back of the same camel in a triangle, instead of three in a row – understand that?

This meant my troublemaking camel kept bumping hard into the one next to me to the point I was afraid I was going to get knocked off.

Eventually I motioned to the camel director to try to explain what was going on to ask him if he could untie me and then tie me to the back of my friend’s camel instead. As per usual when I try to explain some with one hand (other hand gripping the saddle for dear life), there was some miscommunication and he just untied me and handed me the reins and ran off to the front again.

Clearly he hasn’t read my blog and realized he was flirting with disaster by letting ME be in charge of a camel.

Little did he know my camel had a mind of her own.

After a second I just sort of went with it, thinking two (incredibly stupid) things: firstly, I have expert camel experience since I’ve ridden a camel three times in my life, and secondly, all these camels do is haul tourists around day in and day out. If they are anything like the donkeys and camels at Petra, they just trod along after each other, no matter what direction you give them.

Boy oh boy, WHAT IN GOD’S NAME WAS I THINKING?

Talking to myself, “be cool Liz,” I thought, “people ride camels all the time, you’re fine.”

Going with the flow, I tied my camera bag to the saddle (thank heavens) adjusted my camera around my neck and held onto the reins, trying to channel my inner Indiana Jones or Lawrence of Arabia.

Lulled into a false sense of security, my camel and I plodded along at a nice, leisurely pace for a solid hour or so, taking in the beautiful rock formations, the rose-colored sands, the cute baby camel. It’s one thing to explore a historic, majestic desert on foot or by car, but it’s another experience entirely to witness it on the back of a camel, just like the adventurers did hundreds of years ago.

Along we went while I occasionally snapped photos or shot some video with my GoPro – see? I can multitask while camelriding. Skills people, balance, I got this.

By this point my camel had drifted aways from the group, not much, but enough so that we weren’t in line anymore. It’s fine, I’ve got an independent camel – I’m independent too, maybe we were made for each other after all.

Eventually I noticed the ground started to gradually slope downhill. Not by much but when you’re 8 feet off the ground with nothing to hold onto but a saddle and tighten your thighs, it’s a lot.

Photo via Seattle’s Travels

Suddenly I think my camel got a whiff of freedom and started to gain momentum down the hill.

“Oh shit, oh no, oh shit, oh no, oh shit,” I started bouncing up and down really hard on the camel trying to hold on for dear life while it started running.

Now just take a second to imagine a camel running. If there ever was a creature to match me in terms of gracelessness, it is in fact a camel. Trying to run. Here’s a video if you don’t believe me.

Two awkward animals paired together without adult supervision in the hot desert is a match made for disaster.

About three seconds later I go flying off the right side of the camel while it makes a bid for freedom.

White light, white light, white light.

Am I dead?

Flat on my back in the sand, blinking, I slowly open my eyes and look up at the bright sun.

Woosh, then the pain hit me with the force of a gunshot. Nope, definitely alive. “AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH~ HEEEEELLLLLPPPPP!!!” I howled incoherently laying on my back like a turtle.

A minute later a swift Bedouin boy, one of the camel interns, comes running up to me and tries to pull me to my feet. Not happening. I try to stand and fall right back over.

White light. Nausea. White light. Oh god.

Photo via Jessie on a Journey

Laying in the red sand, I eventually get on my knees holding my throbbing head and gingerly touching my lower back, while the rest of our camel brigade surrounded me. Fabulous, an audience, just what I wanted.

Covered in red sand, they tried clean me up, asking how I was and giving me water. And you know the first words out of my fool of a mouth?

“My camera? My camera?”

Still on my knees, I fumbled around and picked up my beautiful, brand new, 2 week old Canon 60D baby, covered in sand – and I realized the screen was cracked.

“Noooooooooooooooo!”

If that doesn’t give you any insights into my personality and priorities, I don’t know what will.

Groaning and blinking back tears, it was just too much, and it was all I could do not to collapse back in the sand like the drama queen I am – though in my defense, I had a big concussion and therefore I was allowed to resort back to childlike behavior.

Eventually, they pulled me to my feet, and luck was on my side, and a 4×4 passed by at that moment headed towards the main camp. Climbing in the front seat, I rested my head on the dashboard and tried not to barf, cry or both, clutching my broken camera and whimpering like a wounded animal.

As I stumbled out of the truck back at the camp, I was met with several of our Jordanian guides and some of the journalists who decided to ride ahead and forgo the camel ride (wise ones). I had managed to keep it together til this point but as soon as I saw the jolly face of Ibrahim, our guide, I lost it and started sobbing.

Moderately concussed, mildly confused and bordering on hysterical, it took several bottles of water dumped on my head and 3 Advils swallowed down with a big cup of tea before I started to calm the heck down and literally regain my senses.

I can’t believe I’m letting this photo see the light of day, but I figured I had to share

Thoughts on getting sick or injured on the road

Quick disclosure, I have a pretty high pain tolerance owing to a childhood of being a total klutz and a penchant for tattoos and piercings growing up. That being said, this is the most pain I’ve ever felt in living memory, and even now it’s difficult for me to put it into words here to fully describe it.

My head had a knot on it the size of an orange for weeks and my lower back to my upper thighs were bruised a veritable rainbow of purple, black and red, and I couldn’t move my neck side to side properly for several days.

Once I got back to the US and since my back wasn’t getting better I eventually ended up in the ER. I’m a stubborn ass and refused to go to the hospital in Jordan, and after talking with doctors in the US, which was a giant waste of my time and money, I realized it wouldn’t have made a difference.

That being said, I count myself incredibly lucky – talk about looking on the bright side. What if I had landed on my face? Or on my arm? On my head? More or less I think I landed on my ass and back then smacking my head on the ground after. Thankfully I loved Jordanian food, and if I hadn’t eaten all of the kanafeh, all of the hummus and all of the falafels in the ENTIRE COUNTRY, and have, as one of the guides so delicately phrased it, a bit of a cushion to land on, it would have been worse. Um, thanks I guess.

If Jordanian hospitality and friendliness could ever ben questioned before, it’s quietly squashed now. I have never been so well taken care of or looked after. Once our group arrived back, everyone was trying to help and make things better and give me little talks to make me feel better, which actually made me cry MORE, you know, because I’m a weirdo and don’t know how to manage my emotions.

I almost always travel alone, and I’ve gotten sick before on the road but I always took care of myself. To be surrounded by people taking care of me without even asking, and doing everything they could to make me feel better when I was in a huge amount of pain made all the difference.

The wonderful Ibrahim

Take-aways

Most likely tempting fate, for the first time in ages I made a grown-up decision right before going to Jordan to finally invest in international property insurance. Jordan was the first stop of what would become several months of traveling on the road before moving to New Zealand for a year. It was also the first time I bought a travel insurance package with World Nomads.

Two things prompted this decision; firstly I’d just splurged on a very expensive new camera, two lenses, gear, GoPro, a laptop and an iPhone (check out this post about what’s in my camera bag!) And secondly, a close friend had his backpack filled with electronics stolen right in front of him. Two and two together finally clicked in my brain; that if someone were to steal all my shit, there would be nothing I could do about it and I couldn’t afford to replace it.

I needed something to cover all of my expensive toys while traveling internationally long-term that wasn’t going to cost me a fortune. After digging around for a while, I finally settled on Clements who had packages fitting what I wanted.

Now, I don’t know anything about insurance or whatever; I just winged it for the past 6 years. Dealing with Clements was easy, I didn’t have to make a lot of phone calls, it was mostly done via email, and boom, I paid for a great policy insuring around $10,000 worth of my crap for year for $17 a month. Now that’s something I can afford. And the best part is that most of my stuff is insured individually which means I don’t have to pay anything as a deductible on it, only for small stuff.

As soon as I got home I mailed my camera into Canon to get repaired. As soon as I got the $300 charge to fix the screen, I emailed a claim off to Clements and had the money deposited back into my bank account within a week. That’s right, the policy already paid for itself. Boom.

Disclosure: I was NOT compensated in any way by Clements for this. I paid full-price for my policy, and I intend to do the same next year.

Photo via Jessie on a Journey

Do I regret riding camels in Jordan?

Nope, not at all.

What happened was a pain in the ass (literally) but it couldn’t be helped. Ultimately what happened was nobody’s fault, except probably mine for not insisting to be tied back up in a camel row in the beginning.

Am I saying that you should never ride a camel while traveling? Absolutely not. Go for it!

I loved (the experience of) riding camels in Morocco, Egypt and even in Wadi Rum in Jordan, as you can see from my big smiles before the BIG INCIDENT.

Like I said, shit happens, and the chance of a normal person falling off a camel is pretty slim. I’ve checked with Google. If you’re accident-prone like me, then well, I suggest asking the camel driver for the most docile camel out there, and making sure it’s being properly led.

Will I ever ride a camel again? Hell no. Three time’s enough for this girl. The only way you will ever get me on the back of a camel again is if you stun me with a stun gun and throw me on its back and tie me down. Or give me a million dollars.

Actually now that I think about it, I probably would ride camels again, since I never seem to learn my lesson while traveling. It won’t be for a while though. I need some space to recover.

The only downside now is I have acquired a irrational fear of camels, and now every time I see one, I also see that white light. Shiver.

Have you ever ridden camels before? Would you, given the chance? Have you ever been injured or seriously ill on the road? How did you cope?

I was in Jordan as a guest of the Jordan Tourism Board and My Jordan Journey, though as you can probably guess, all opinions here are my own haha.

The post That one time I fell off a camel in Jordan appeared first on Young Adventuress.

The sun had already risen hot and bright by the time I crawled out from underneath my mosquito net in the Dana Biosphere Reserve in Jordan. Yawning, I began to dress, reminiscing about the night before and mildly regretting not diving into bed a few hours sooner. After watching the sunset while drinking tea with the local Bedouins, we had dinner by candlelight before climbing to the roof of the Feynan Ecolodge and watching shooting stars over the Jordanian Desert. Actually, I was ok with only a few hours of sleep.

Then it dawned on me that today was the day that all my delightful, nerdy fantasies would come true.

We were going to Petra!

Now I am not much of a bucket list traveler, but Petra has been on my travel to-do list for as long as I can remember. Walking along those narrow red gorges, following in the footsteps of so many great adventurers and explorers before me, and finally getting to visit the famous treasury from Indiana Jones would be a dream come true. I was elated.

What kid didn’t watch those movies and think, I want to go on an adventure like Indy one day?! Amiright?

Step 1: ride in the back of a rickety Bedouin truck to Petra

As we said goodbye to our new Bedouin friends in the nature reserve, we piled in the back of a 4×4 truck that looked like it had been around since the 70’s and drove off. Bumping and jostling around in the back with the sandy wind blowing through my hair, we made our way towards Petra. For the next few hours we rode high along the ancient dirt back roads towards one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

“Liz, I suggest you don’t lean against the back hatch unless you want to go flying haha,” yelled Ibrahim, the most amazing tour guide on the face of the earth as I was snapping photo after photo of our ride through the mountains. Duly noted.

Passing local men on the backs of donkeys, we would periodically stop and take in the beautiful views as we crawled higher and higher following in the footsteps of great traders. Slowly the morning mists began to burn away as the steamy Arabian sun rose above us. Baking with a smile on my face as the high stony cliffs fell away along the narrow road, I treasured that morning ride in the back of a pick-up truck as something I would remember forever. It was certainly more memorable than if we drove there on a massive cookie cutter tour bus.

Step 2: dress the part

But no Indiana Jones fantasy can be complete without the obligatory badass adventure hat, am I right or am I right?

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), the stalls ringing the entrance to Petra didn’t sell whips, so sadly my Indiana Jones ensemble was incomplete. Mercifully, the tourists and locals alike were spared watching me make of a fool of myself posing around Petra with a whip.

Instead they had to run out of the way as my wild donkey named Shakira bolted up narrow staircases with me screaming wearing a cowboy hat with a GoPro strapped on top. But more on that later.

Also since we are the topic of dress, some housekeeping information. I wore Toms around Petra. Since it is equal parts sand, dirt, and slippery rocks, I suggest you DON’T wear Toms and wear proper hiking shoes or sneakers. Took me three washes to get all the sand out of them.

Step 3: team up with some sidekicks as crazy as you

“Hey, how do you get up to the top of this cliff for the view of the Treasury?” Asked World Wide Nate pulling up a photo on his iPhone while we were waiting to go inside Little Petra. “I want to get this shot at sunset.”

Being the nosy person that I am, I peeked over Nate’s shoulder as he was chatting with our guides about the best way to get up to that view point this afternoon.”

“Holy crap, that looks awesome!” I chimed in, “I’m coming with you!”

Never one to wait for an invitation, I insisted on tagging along. Convincing Nate that I would be his production assistant and the afternoon would only be bettered by my presence, Listening carefully, we (him) began to plot out an epic afternoon traversing the clifftops of Petra in search of the most epic, badass sunset shot of al time (you know you are with travel bloggers when…) With Seattle’s Travels joining in, our ragtag group grew into a fabulous gang of crazy people looking for an adventure. Just the kind of partners in crime you need for a day in Petra.

Collectively known (from now on and forever more) as the Dream Team, Me, Nate and Seattle had absolutely no idea what we were getting ourselves into when Ibrahim said that the only way we would get to see both sites at Petra was if we were to go by donkey.

Step 4: find some exotic animal to ride around Petra, like a camel or Arabian stallion (or in our cases, donkeys)

Since we wanted to visit two main sites in Petra in one afternoon, we realized quickly that we would have to hoof it (pun intended). The preferred mode of transport around the ancient city of Petra by those with time constraints is of course, by donkey.

I should take this opportunity to explain that Petra is HUGE. Like, much bigger than you can ever imagine, which is why it takes days and days to see everything. To fit it all in in one day is impossible, but lucky for us Indiana Jones wannabes, we like a good challenge.

Clambering up of my frisky donkey, Shakira, I had no idea what was in store for the rest of the day. In the not so reassuring company of two teenage boys armed with sticks and mischievous smiles, we were off.

What we thought we looked like:

What we actually looked like:

Step 5: have an epic adventure

Now just take a moment to try to imagine riding a donkey up a flight of stairs. Ancient stairs worn down from centuries of donkey hooves and hiking boots trotting along them, making them nice and smooth, perfect to slip and fall off of a donkey on. Now try to imagine clumsy ME riding a donkey up those stairs carved into a mountain with no railing and a hundred foot drop or two on your side and that’s what you get in Petra. IT WAS EFFING TERRIFYING!

Most (sane) people just climb the stairs up to the different sites and look out points in Petra, but oh no, that wasn’t good enough for the dream team.

As we headed up the first stairs 3 ducks in a row followed by two boys, I realized several important things.

1. Donkeys have the right of way in Petra, and Shakira wasn’t to stop or move for anyone or anything. She just about plowed over a dozen tourists on the way to the top with me yelling, “excuse me, so sorry” for about 15 minutes straight.

2. I also had no control over my donkey. Like at all. This was good and bad. Good because I had absolutely no idea what I was doing and most likely would accidently ridden her off the side of the cliff. Bad because I don’t like to not be in charge and surrender control of any given situation, let alone to a stinky donkey named Shakira in Jordan.

3. About three minutes into the first climb up the stairs I was one hundred percent convinced I was surely going to die screaming.

Apart from the fact that for some ungodly reason the donkeys preferred to walk on the edge of the cliff instead of the middle of the stairs (I think maybe it was because the stairs were worn down less on the sides), it didn’t help matters that our donkeys were pretty lazy and would stop all the damn time.

No big deal except to keep them moving, our mini guides would hit the donkeys with rocks, ropes and/or chains. My inner teenage PETA activist was throwing a fit.

“Please can you NOT hit the donkey? I really don’t like it.” I eventually said to the boys. Their reply was CLASSIC.

“It’s ok, don’t worry; it’s only a mule.” Are you freakin’ kidding me?

So be warned, the working animals here aren’t exactly given the best treatment, as you can imagine.

As we climbed higher and higher to a hidden viewpoint overlooking the famous treasury facede, I got more excited and equally scared. The cliffs along the stairs to the first treasury was nothing compared to this. One falso step and I would go flying off the side of a several hundred foot cliff. Gulp.

But in the words of Indy, “Fortune and glory, kid. Fortune and glory.” Isn’t that what motivates most bloggers anyways?

Holding on to dear life, I tried to trust my donkey. Mule. Whatever. How many times had she made this trip? A million probably. Finally as the sun started to set, turning the rocks a mesmerizing shade of red-rose, we arrived. As I not so gracefully dismounted, we had to hike down a little ways before arriving at the overlook.

As we emerged out between two big rocks, I got my first glimpse of the canyon below. It took my breath away. Cliche, I know. Climbing down, there was a little tent propped up with carpets. We threw our bags down, lay on our stomachs and wiggled out as far as we dared, peeking over the rocks below to the treasury below. It was definitely a holy shit moment, that’s for sure!

Smiling at each other, I couldn’t help but think, hot damn was that worth it! What an incredible moment! After taking approximately a million photos, videos, and iPhone shots, I made sure to put all my electronic crap away and just sit and reflect, taking a mental picture of this one pure, precious moment that would and could never be repeated.

But now the best part: going back down. If I thought going up hundreds of scary stairs with cliff edges was terrifying, it was NOTHING compared to going back down them on the back of a donkey. After what felt like hours later, of me praying to any god that would listen punctuated with “oh no, oh no, fuck this GAH!” we finally emerged at the bottom. Indiana Jones or not, I was firmly telling myself the next time I ride a donkey is the day that hell freezes over.

But all in all, a pretty amazing day!

Have you been to Petra, Jordan? Is it on your bucket list? Are you a fan of Indiana Jones? Would you ride a donkey around Petra given the chance?

The post Petra, Jordan: 5 Steps to Channeling Indiana Jones appeared first on Young Adventuress.

If I had to chose the one thing I love the most about the Middle East (besides the food), I would have to go with the great depth of history to be found there.

Few places in the world can boast of having such well-preserved historic monuments and such well-known historic sites as the Middle East, and Jordan is no exception.

The range of historical monuments and wealth of art in Jordan continued to surprise me on my trip there. Perhaps one of my favorite sites during the whole trip was getting to visit the ancient city of Jerash, just 30 miles north of the capital, Amman. Early on our first day in town, we piled in a big bus and headed out to tour this vast ancient city. To say I was excited is a massive understatement.

When you are as big of a history nerd as me, exploring Jerash is up there with Ephesus in Turkey and Pompeii in Italy as some of the best preserved Greco-Roman ruins to be found nowadays. Bring it on, Jordan.

Being that it was our first full day in Jordan, I didn’t really know what to expect when we climbed out of the bus into the hot April sunshine. I learned two things very quickly. First, there is very little shade to be found in this massive tourist sight and coming without a hat or sunscreen meant I was gonna fry. The second fact I learned was that Jordanians have got to be some of the friendliest, kindest people I’ve met on my travels!

The two main things that surprised me  the most about Jerash and what distinguished it from other ancient cities I’ve made nerdy pilgrimages to, is how vast it was and how well-preserved it was. We spent hours walking from one side to the other, and didn’t even get to see everything (I guess I have to come back).

Over the years in Europe, I’ve visited more ancient ruins than I can count. Nothing turns me than some well-preserved corinthian capitals or Roman triumphal arches. Sadly, I am not joking. No matter where I am, I try to make a point of visiting as many historical sites when traveling. Do you enjoy visiting ancient places and spaces or do they make you yawn?

I’ll leave you with plenty of pictures to try not to bore you too much if ancient history isn’t your thing – which is totally fine – we all have our faults 😛

To pique your interested in antiquity, I suggest watching HBO’s popular series Rome. Wildly inaccurate, it is still very entertaining, and season 1 features Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, aka General Pompey who was an important player in Jerash’s history if you want to put a face to a name.

Conquering many territories in the East all in the name of Rome, Pompey eventually took Jerash in 63 BC, returning home to a triumph two years later before joining the infamous Triumvirate with Julius Caesar and the easily forgotten Crassus, only to start a war and die fleeing from Caesar in Egypt around 48 BC. I really cannot comprehend why people find history boring. Roman history is so violent and dramatic, I find it frightfully fun to read about. Then again, this might explain why I don’t have a boyfriend.

Nicknamed “Pompeii of the East,” which I find a little excessive – Pompeii is in a league all of its own. It’s not everyday you find mummified plaster remains of people who died in a volcanic eruption; nonetheless Jerash should not be missed on any trip to Jordan or this part of the world.

Like many places in Jordan, Jerash is much overlooked by foreign tourists. When we were there, most of the people were local schools on field trips. Now normally when I am traveling, to encounter busloads of obnoxious preteens on a school trip is enough to make me want to run screaming in the opposite direction. But not this time.

As soon as the first group of them saw us, they got quiet, pointed as us and started whispering to each other. Quickly, I did a double take to make sure I hadn’t accidentally tucked the back of my skirt into my underwear or something equally embarrassing. But as it turned out, they were interested in us because we were the exotic Americans (plus a few Canadians).

Oh la la. Now that is not a role I find myself in often when traveling.

As the bolder girls moved forward, they would come up and surround us, asking us a few questions in English, practicing what they learned in school, before running off giggling. It was adorable.

As we wandering along the perfectly preserved Greco-Roman streets amid dozens of tall columns, we listened to stories and details about the places we were seeing face to face.

Eventually we ended up in the large theater, tilting our heads up towards the sun like sunflowers and watching the groups of school kids run around and play in the stands. Eventually we meandered our way down to the stage floor, where I was bombarded by a group of teenage girls in neon headscarves begging me to take a picture with them.

As I quickly fluffed my blond mop, I smiled and said “go ahead.” It’s not everyday that I get tons of people wanting my photograph. Nevermind the fact that they were probably fourteen. They quickly lost their attention when a group of men in traditional Jordanian garb started playing bagpipes, and all the kids formed a moshpit around them and started dancing.

It was a strange day.

As they noticed us, they switched their tune and started playing Amazing Grace.

Ok, so a really strange day.

Laughing, they started playing more traditional songs and we all joined hands and danced around them in a big circle while the schoolkids took photos of us. It was strange, hilarious and really fun all at the same time, and I now have good memories of my time in Jerash thanks to all the people I got to meet.

What has surprised you when traveling? Have you ever heard of Jerash? Would you like to visit Jordan?

P.S. I mailed about 20 postcards to readers who sent me their addresses on my Facebook page. Has anyone gotten one yet?

The post Postcards from Jerash, Jordan appeared first on Young Adventuress.

Is there anything more poignant, more meaningful, more memorable than witnessing an epic sunset while traveling?

Nope, don’t think so.

Ok, so I kinda have a thing for sunsets, but still, after a long day of travel and exploring new places and spaces, I love nothing more than watching the afternoon come to a close beneath a rainbow of colors. The perfect end to a perfect day.

Jordan has no shortage of spectacular sunsets. 

Though I’ve only been back in the US for a week, it has taken me that long to begin to process and wrap my mind around my recent trip to the Middle East. Where to begin? What to write about today?

I could write about my favorite experiences around Jordan, or about all the amazing food I got to try (so.much.hummus) or even about the day I fell off a camel (soon, I promise!). Too many options to chose from!

As I found myself sorting through thousands of Jordan photos this morning, I was struck by how many magnificent sunsets I was lucky enough to witness. From watching the big eastern sun dip below the desert horizon to marveling at how the rose-red rocks glowed and changed colors as the day drew to a close, I was consistently surprised by the sunsets in Jordan.

And what made each sunset even more memorable was the fact that they were each accompanied by a special moment, ingraining each day, moment and location upon my memory forever.

Are you a sunset person? Where have you seen the most spectacular sunsets while traveling?

1. Ma’in Hot Springs

As we said goodbye to the hustle and bustle of Jordan’s capital city, Amman, we slowly traversed the narrow mountain roads and switchbacks towards the Dead Sea. As the setting sun turned the arid landscape red and gold, we checked into one of the coolest hotels I’ve ever stayed in. Located 850 feet below sea level in the Wadi Mujib canyon, the Evason Ma’in Hot Springs and Six Senses Spa is a paradise, situated along several waterfalls and natural hot springs.

Ditching our bags and throwing on our bikinis, we trekked down towards one of the waterfalls, lounging around in the temperate water before heading back to our rooms to get ready for dinner. Grabbing my camera, I threw open my balcony doors for the first time and my mouth dropped open.

Looking out at the valley between two mountains, an orange ball of fire was slowly dropping behind the desert and the Dead Sea.  If I wasn’t convinced I was in paradise swimming under a thermal waterfall, I was now.

This was my first proper sunset in Jordan, and boy, it was a whopper! As the insects chirped and the waterfalls thundered in the distance, I breathed in the hot, desert air and smiled to myself. As much as I loved Amman, from my third floor balcony in Ma’in as the sun was setting, I first realized just how special Jordan really was.

2. Dana Biosphere Reserve

Feynan Ecolodge in the Dana Biosphere Reserve has to be both one of the most innovative places I’ve laid my head down while traveling and also one of the most challenging places to reach. We arrived after a 5 hour hike through the reserve where I sadly realized that 3 bottles of water in the desert with no shade was a rookie error.

After a welcoming shower in my electricity-free abode and chugging down approximately 2 gallons of water, we gathered downstairs to go for a sunset walk with the local Bedouins. As our feet crunched on the rocky moon-like ground, we chatted about the Bedouin culture and played games with the local kids.

Perched on a rock, watching the sun slowly sink behind a thick layer of sand and dust, we drank sage tea and conversed with Hussein, a local Bedouin and one of the most interesting people I’ve encountered on my travels. Over a glass of steaming hot tea, he told us how he met and fell in love with his Hungarian wife. As the sun started to sink faster, I pulled out my iPhone and asked him to take a photo, trying to show him what buttons to click. Laughing, he pulled out his own iPhone and began showing me some great photos he’s taken of his daily life.

21st century Bedouins. Wasn’t expecting that.

Chatting with Hussein as the sun set over the Dana Biosphere Reserve, I was reminded of tradition meeting with innovation. It was also a firm reminder of just how much meeting with locals and learning through experience meant to me when traveling.

© Feynan Ecolodge

3. Petra

If there was one place I was really looking forward to on my trip to Jordan, it was Petra, and let me just say, it did not disappoint.  We spent the day exploring the vast, ancient city, wandering along narrow canyons and exploring the famous Indiana Jones facades. As the late afternoon sun began to set, we negotiated donkeys to carry us up to a secret viewpoint that overlooks the famous treasury. Clinging to my donkey for dear life, we negotiated very worn, narrow staircases that dropped off straight ledges leading us high above the canyons, a journey meriting a post all on its own.

I even videoed the episode on my GoPro camera since it was quite possibly the most terrifying thing I have ever done.

As the sun began to dip behind the mountains to our back, it turned what originally seemed to be an orange sandstone, a beautiful rose, illuminating the famous Petra treasury facade pink. Perched on the edge of the cliff, with my arms around my knees and my 5 Jordanian dinar Indiana Jones adventure hat on, the wind whistled through my sandlogged hair bringing about a moment of pure bliss and tranquility.

It was one of those moments I will treasure until the day I die. It was one of those moments that when I am sad or upset, I will close my eyes and picture sitting on that ledge with the world beneath my feet and one of the 7 wonders of the world twinkling rose in front of me.

4. Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum is the famous desert valley in Jordan and it means the Valley of the Moon, which I think is a pretty accurate name. Walking along barefoot on the dark sand, it is easy to imagine you are lost in some lunar landscape, unchanged for millenium.  Arriving in the late afternoon, we piled in the back of a bunch of 4x4s to explore the desert, following in the footsteps of giants like Lawrence of Arabia.

As the sandy wind blew through our hair, we turned up the music inside the jeep and learned to dance along to the traditional sounds with our amazing guide Ibrahim. As the afternoon clouded over, the sun would peak here and there through the stormy skies, creating a perfect dramatic backdrop to our tour. Kicking up sand, we shimmied our shoulders and wiggled our hips trying to imitate Ibrahim in the classic Arabian dance moves, and failing miserably. (Entertaining video here and at the end of this post).

Talk about fun times!

5. The Dead Sea

For the perfect end to the perfect trip in Jordan, we piled back in the bus to head out to the Dead Sea. As the sun started to set across from us over Israel, we threw on our bikinis and ran down to the beach at the Mövenpick Resort. Beneath the hot glare of the sun, we tip-toed our way down to the water and eased our way in. As soon as you step into the Dead Sea, you float. Because of the high density of the super salty water, you can’t sink if you tried. Even my GoPro camera floated along beside me.

If you have any cuts or open wounds, the water starts to sting like a bitch. Unfortunately, I had a skinned elbow from my tumble off the camel in the Wadi Rum, so I had to run out howling after only a few minutes to rinse it off. Then it was mud monster time, where we smeared ourselves from head to toe with the mineral-enriched mud from the Dead Sea. You know, for health purposes. Not because I still like to play in the mud.

As the sun started to set over Israel and Jerusalem in the distance (how many sunsets get to say that?!) we cleaned ourselves off and headed up to the infinity pool overlooking the Dead Sea.Plopping my tired self in the water, I folded my arms on the ledge overlooking the sunset and smiled.

Of all the sunsets I was lucky enough to witness while in the Middle East, that last night was by far the most memorable. Under clear blue skies, a perfect orange globe surrounded by a halo bobbed in the distance over the Dead Sea. It was easy to float in that pool watching the day wrap up in front of me and reflect back on my time in Jordan with nothing but a happiness and a smile.

What a way to end my time in Jordan.

Have you ever been to Jordan? Would you like to go one day? Where have you seen the most memorable sunset while traveling?

The post 5 Sunset Stories from Jordan appeared first on Young Adventuress.

When I proudly announced that I was going to Turkey 2 months ago, I was met with a surprising amount of skepticism, worry and doubt, mostly from my family. Calmly reassuring everyone that Turkey is a very safe country and that I was going no matter what they said, I continued to plan and coordinate my dream trip.

Why couldn’t they just be happy for me?

A week later, the US embassy was bombed in Ankara. And a few days after that, the murdered body of Sarai Sierra, an woman from NYC traveling alone in Turkey was discovered in Istanbul.

How was I going to explain that to mom and dad?

Sarai Sierra (Photo: Derek Fahsbender via AP)

“You should cancel your trip.” “You are crazy to go to Turkey right now.” “I can’t believe you are going to Turkey alone, and as a woman too” were many of the oppositions I began to hear.

Selectively deaf to disagreements, especially of the travel variety, I continued planning my trip. I was going to discover the flavors of Istanbul; I was going to take to the skies in a hot air balloon in Cappadocia; I was going to explore ancient ruins in Ephesus. Nothing short of a revolution would keep me from going to Turkey.  If I had learned anything from 6+ years of solo travel, it was that these sorts of mass hysterias were usually blown way out of proportion, especially about countries in the Middle East. If you take away anything from this post, remember to take your friend’s and family’s warnings and advice with a grain of salt.

Movies and news in the USA love to rave about the dangers of traveling to “Muslim” countries, stirring up fear and xenophobia which couldn’t be more WRONG. They paint the Middle East as a volatile time bomb waiting to explode and filled with dangerous Arabs who hate Americans and who want to kidnap little blond girls like me and eat them for breakfast.

Really?

I saw Taken 2 for the first time on the plane back from Istanbul (poor choice Lufhansa) and my mouth dropped open in astonishment. No wonder people had the totally wrong idea about Turkey when this garbage was in mainstream media.

To characterize the entire Middle East based on incidents in Iraq, Afghanistan or places that have had terrorist attacks in the past is akin to saying that the US is filled with gangsters with big guns OR with crazy young men who enjoying shooting children.

I was going to Istanbul not Baghdad. Of course there are dangerous places in the Middle East, but there are far more safe places to visit.

Culturally the US and countries like Turkey are very different, but why should we be scared of something different? Isn’t that why we love travel? To go explore unknown places, meet new people and experience different cultures? To lump them all together as dangerous “Arabs” is both simpleminded and appallingly racist.

It is true that women in the US enjoy a considerable amount of freedom compared with other countries around the world, but does that mean because I am a young American woman who enjoys traveling, I always need to travel with people by my side? Or worse, can I only feel safe traveling when I have a man beside me? Should I be frightened to travel alone? Or is it ok to travel alone as long as I am not going to “Muslim” countries?

Believe it or not, but I have heard all of the above multiple times, more often than not from people who are very close to me. Nothing bothers me more when people make sweeping generalizations about a place they’ve never been to and probably can’t even name the capital of.

I firmly trust in the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Turkey may be in the Middle East (actually, its location baffles me: Middle East? Asia? Europe? Eurasia?) but from what I’d heard from fellow travelers and travel bloggers, Turkey’s nothing like its neighbors. Everyone had nothing but nice things to say about it. I survived two weeks in Egypt right after the revolution; I seriously doubted that Turkey would even remotely test my patience like Cairo or Luxor did.

Why is Turkey “dangerous?” Because they’re Muslim? Because they share a border with Syria and Iran? Because one American woman was murdered there. How many people are murdered in America every god damn day? Every time I turn on the news, some one else has died here. Someone pulled a gun in a school. Someone shot up a movie theater. Someone has gone missing. Someone was raped. According to NOW, on average 3 women a day are murdered in the United States by a partner AT HOME. As much as we love to preach safety and superiority over the rest of the world, the United States is a pretty scary place.

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again. America, you have absolutely NO RIGHT to be calling other countries dangerous. Nothing galls me more than hearing other Americans condemn another country based on stereotypes propagated by the media and movies.

This fact was brutally reaffirmed yesterday when the Boston marathon was bombed. Downtown Boston. Bombed. In the United States. In a very nice area. People died on sidewalks I’ve walked on. How can you NOT question if you are living in a safe place?

And today? The anniversary of the Virginia Tech shooting, you know, where my mom, brother, one of my best friends and half my high school went to college.

In my short 24 years on this planet, I have had to call close friends and family three different times during major tragedies. When I was 12 years old and my dad was working in DC during 9/11. When I was 18 years old in the spring of my first year of college, some nutcase killed 32 people at Virginia Tech. And again yesterday when the Boston marathon was bombed – I went to school in MA, and most of my friends are still up there.

24 years old, and I’ve already had to make that phone call asking “are you ok?” praying to god that certain people in my life were still alive 3 separate times. How fucked up is that?

But go on, tell me Turkey is dangerous. Tell me traveling as a woman is dangerous.

If you don’t believe me, the statistics don’t lie.

For example, 5,324 people were murdered in New York City alone over the past decade. How many Americans were murdered in all of Turkey over the past 10 years? Three.

Think about it.

While the death of Sarai Sierra is tragic, unfortunate, and breaks my heart to read about, the fact that she was traveling alone in Turkey had nothing to do with it. Like many homicides, she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Statistically speaking, she was far more likely to be killed at home in NYC than in Istanbul. But to use her death as an platform to both criticize the safety of Turkey for Americans and to question women who chose to travel alone is shallow and wrong.

In a post on NBC News announcing Sarai Sierra’s murder, there are thousands of comments that make me want to scream and bang my head against the wall. Actually I only got through page one before I wanted to weep for humanity.

In fact, I learned 3 important lessons from that article: 60% of NBC news readers can’t spell and are grammatically retarded (yes, I said the “r” word, move on), way more people than you would think are racist trolls, and NBC should disable comment threads on controversial articles.

Here are some of the more spectacular comments and my reaction via GIF’s.

“There is no place safe for a single American to be traveling east of Italy. I would imagine the Turkish police will get to the heart of the issue very soon and they are not afraid to execute anyone they decide is responsible for this murder.”

“If you are looking for justice in a Muslim country then forget it if a man killed her and he is married then his wife will go to prison for his deeds. his punishment will be her shame. it works for them!”

“Sadly, any American, male or female, traveling anywhere on the planet, especially the Middle-East, is not safe.. This woman, while I admire the fact that she wanted to get her photography career going, should NEVER have gone to Turkey, be it with a friend or alone, but especially not alone! Men over there have absolutely no respect for women in their own country much less foreign woman. To them, Sierra being alone was an invitation to harm her, whether they meant to murder her or not, who can say right now.Without a cadre of close friends surrounding a women, she is better off staying away from such dangerous places as the Middle-East or, if she must go there, she should NEVER go out by herself.”

“Makes no sense to me why a woman, even a pair would go to a middle eastern country knowing or should know the conditions women & young children are treated.”

“Then go ahead and travel to Iran and say “Hey dude, I’m your friend.” They’ll scream “infidel” at you and chop your head to pieces.”

“Why in the hell would anyone go to Turkey on vacation?”

Sigh. And that was just page 1. Of 16.

This all goes back to my main question – is Turkey safe for solo female travelers?

Yes, yes it is.

Not only is my answer yes, I also believe that Turkey is a great destination for solo female travelers and a perfect introduction to the Middle East. Why?

Pressing issue aside, Istanbul is considered to be one of the safest big cities in the world. It has a much lower crime rate than the rest of Europe, especially big cities like London, Paris and Berlin. Over the past few months I have scoured the internet for articles about crime in Turkey, and one fact that always stuck out for me was the fact that almost every police officer in Turkey holds a university degree, while many more have masters or PhDs. Educated law enforcement, what a novel idea.

It’s not your typical “Muslim” country. That isn’t to say that other Muslim countries are dangerous, something I do not believe is true in the slightest, but for example the harassment I dealt with in Egypt was a thousand times worse than anything I experienced in Turkey. Traveling alone, I was never followed, never pinched or poked, never hassled or oggled. Only once did a get hit on big time – walking home at night, I heard someone yell out to me “Miss you dropped something,” and I turned around to see a young guy on his knees holding his chest and said, “my heart.” And let’s be honest, I was totally fine with that!

Turkey is a very east-meets-west country, with many girls dressing the same way as Europeans, working and living just like you or me. Did you know that up until recently, women were banned from entering university wearing a headscarf in Turkey? But it is also undeniably a Muslim country, and there is a new wave of conservatism in the government. Turkey is in the midst of a transformation and it’s really fascinating to watch; almost everyone I talked to was willing to talk with me about religion, and they were more than happy to share their strong opinions with me. Men and women socialize, hang out, study, work even drink, but they won’t touch bacon. Fascinating!

Apart from that, I think what impressed me most about Turkey was the unfailing kindness and generosity of everyone I met. With 30 countries under my belt, Turkey definitely has some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met. To hear someone who’s most likely never been there categorize as a deadly place for Americans, especially women makes me want to scream!

So I think what we need to ask ourselves is NOT whether or not Turkey is a safe destination for women wanting to travel alone, but rather what can we do to improve violence against women around the world? How can you protect yourself when traveling alone, home or abroad?

I think the second part of the issue is that the United States desperately needs to reevaluate its perception of the rest of the world, starting with the Middle East and Islamic countries. I, for one, will be doing my part to show people that the world is much safer than you realize; no more making excuses.

My 5 tips for solo female travelers in Turkey

1. Don’t be a dumbass

This one does seem fairly obvious, but unfortunately it bears repeating. Be smart. Over the years, and after many trips and mess-ups around the world, you learn. So if this is your first solo trip as a woman outside the US (like it was for Sarai), maybe you should pick a less challenging destination. Like Spain. Not only will you not be harassed, you will most likely also be ignored. Over time you will learn caution, and learn to read situations better while traveling that can keep you from getting into danger. This takes time and experience

If a situation makes you feel uncomfortable, get the hell out of there as fast as you can. Run. Scream. Don’t be polite. I’ve read many articles about Sarai Sierra’s death, and she was caught on tape in plenty of places I wouldn’t have ventured to alone. Walking along random railroad tracks at dusk? Not a good idea in most of the world. Carrying your iPad out in the middle of a local mall? Also not a good idea.

If you are concerned about being alone, then don’t be alone. Stay in a hostel and make friends, join a day tour or research group activities. There are plenty of ways to be with people when you are traveling alone.

Also, buy travel insurance. You’ve more chance of hurting yourself than suffering at the hands of someone else! I use World Nomads Travel Insurance, who offer all kinds of different policies specifically geared towards travelers. Each one is customizable AND affordable.

2. Don’t stay somewhere sketchy

Again fairly obvious but often forgotten. Research where you will stay. Read the reviews, ask other people who have been there for suggestions. Don’t sacrifice saving a few dollars to stay in a shithole in a bad area. When you check in, think about what the area will be like after dark and if you have to walk back alone. Unless you’re in Pamplona for San Fermin, there will always be somewhere to stay and you can always change locations. Talking with locals in Istanbul, I found out Sarai Sierra was staying in an Air BNB apartment in quite possibly the worst area of town. Not smart. Especially when you are alone and in a unfamiliar place for the first time.

When I booked my hotels in Turkey, I did a lot of research and carefully chose ones that were perfect for women traveling alone: Hotel Empress Zoe in Istanbul (run by two American sisters) and the Kelebek Cave Hotel in Cappadocia. In Izmir I stayed at a place called the Olimpiyat Hotel which I recommend avoid at all costs.

3. Bring a door stop

Ever since I started backpacking in 2007, I’ve always carried a small rubber doorstop to jam under my hotel and private hostel room doors. Some places have really flimsy doors and you never know who might also have a key. With a door stop, it makes it so much harder to ninja-kick a door in, and let’s say, rob, stab or rape a girl. I also avoid staying on ground floors where someone could come through a window easily and I don’t leave easily accessed windows open. Common sense really.

4. Blend in

Given how I look, I am almost never mistaken for a local, unless I am in the mother country: Poland. But when I am traveling, I always walk around with an air of confidence, and never with a map in hand. Yes, I sometimes get lost, but then I pop in a doorway or in a shop and pull out a map that I have folded, or ask for directions. But I never walk down the street or stop with an open map. Act like you belong, even when you’re lost until you can find a comfortable place to ask for directions.

And as much as I disagree with it, if you are in a conservative country, cover up ladies. No cleavage. No skimpy legs. No flirty dresses. Istanbul is very modern, so you see local women dress very western and since there are so many tourists, even in summer, I don’t think you’d have much of an issue wearing shorts or a t-shirt. The Turkish coastline is very famous for cruise stops and beach holidays, so likewise, I doubt you’d have many problems dressing like you would back home in summer.

5. Avoid eye contact

This is not just for Turkey, but for many places, even in the US, eye contact can mean an invitation or flirting. This was something I never did until this trip, always staring people down and smiling at everyone. I can’t help it, I’m a smiler. But I tried it in the markets in Istanbul and it worked phenomenally. Just stare straight ahead. Works like a charm.

The same goes for conversations with shopkeepers or men in general. Be aware of your tone so you don’t sound flirty. This also really helps. This all goes back to number one and learning to read situations through experience. I am hesitant to say never talk or my eye contact with locals because that means missing out on truly authentic and fun travel experiences. A huge part of my trips come from meeting people from where I am going. But over the years I have learned to read people very well, and the instant I feel uncomfortable or threatened, I’m out of there.

For more thoughts, ramblings and tips on solo female travel, check out my Solo Female Traveler’s Manifesto Guide and/or my 10 Solo Female Travel Tips From Almost a Decade of Travel.

Do you travel alone? Are you a solo female traveler? What precautions do you take? Have you ever been to Turkey?

The post Is Turkey Safe for Women Traveling Alone? appeared first on Young Adventuress.

My love for the ancient world dates back over a decade and has very profound and significant origins.

“My name is Gladiator.”

Who knew watching Russell Crowe fight tigers and make out the sister of the Roman emperor would inspire such an ardent and deep admiration for antiquity? If my mother only knew that letting me watch these kinds of movies as a teenager would spark a flame that would turn into a useless bachelor’s degree in medieval studies, undoubtedly she would have hurled my VHS copy of Gladiator out the window.

Oh well.

13 years and a $200,000 education later, my passion for anything dated before the fall of the Roman Empire has not waned in the slightest. Talk of the Trojan War titillates me; the mere mention of the Caesars animates me, and don’t even get me started on Sparta. Why?

Because everything in the ancient world was BADASS, that’s why. Also, it’s pretty damn interesting.

In short, I’m a total nerd. I can tell you the names of all the Roman emperors starting with Augustus, IN LATIN, no less, and once I voluntarily spent a Christmas break in college taking a class about ancient Roman architecture and archaeology IN Rome.

There is no hope for me. I have no idea why I’m still single. Talk about a catch!

What does this have to do with anything? You might be asking yourself at this very moment. Don’t worry, that’s something that crosses my mind fairly frequently these days. Am I turning into one of those badgery old ladies who speaks only in tangents?

My abiding love for the past has carried over into my travels – that’s why, people!

Over the years I have made it my personal mission to explore and personally visit the historical sites of my dreams. So far I’ve been to 74 World Heritage sites, and far more that SHOULD be World Heritage Sites – not that I am really counting. I only know this because I was superbly bored at work last Friday afternoon and counted them. Unlike some people who shall remain nameless, cough cough, I don’t feel the need to make my life into one giant checklist and knock off as many World Heritage Sites as possible that I will only forget about a day later.

Call me a snob, but I like to take trips and visit places that have personal MEANING to me, even if that meaning was I saw that Ridley Scott film a movie there when I was in 8^th grade, thus it looks cool, I MUST GO. I will never visiting a place just to say I’ve been there, end of story.

Whether I am putting around in the mud in Ostia Antica to journeying to Phoenician ruins in the middle of nowhere in Spain, or getting lost for hours in the Egyptian museum (easily done as it’s the WORST organized museum in the world), I almost always find a way to schedule in a little bit of antiquity into a trip.

My latest escapade in Turkey was no exception. Some of the oldest, and best preserved ruins and ancient sites I’ve seen while traveling have been in Turkey. Though many might initially think of visiting more “traditionally” classic ancient sites in places like Italy or Greece, for goodness’ sake don’t overlook Turkey! (especially in winter)

Ephesus

When I started researching for my trip, it didn’t take long for me to get bogged down with what ancient sites to choose from. THERE ARE SO MANY!

Since this was my first trip to Turkey, I set my eye on Ephesus, one of the best preserved ancient cities in the world. As soon as I saw a photo of it, I knew I had to go.

My last day in Turkey was an epic one. Arriving on a late-night flight in Izmir, I made my way to what had to have been one of the top 5 SKETCHIEST hotels I’ve ever stayed in. With my rape whistle and pepperspray under my pillow, I had an uneasy night’s sleep before waking up early to meet my guide from About Ephesus tours.

Caption contest: GO!

Ephesus is on the Aegean Coast in western Turkey, and thus it’s quite popular with the cruise ships that dock in nearby Kusadasi. I don’t know which I hate more, cruise ships or massive day tour groups from cruise ships, so it took a long time to sift through all the possible tour companies to find a decent one.

About Ephesus picked me up for a private tour straight from my hotel. Driving out to the site, my awesome guide Canan and I bonded over a love for history and a general curiosity in the world. Answering all my questions with a smile on her face, and telling me all sorts of interesting facts I didn’t know before about Ephesus and Turkey, my excitement to finally witness this magical place firsthand only grew.

For the first time in days, the weather finally heard my pleading, and the rain stopped and the mists began to burn off as we climbed over green mountains and past verdant fields on our way to Ephesus. In fact it was so warm I didn’t need a coat! Our first stop was a very holy place where the virgin Mary supposedly lived. A tiny chapel high in the hills, as the early morning dew dripped off the trees and the smell of the sea lingered in the air, I might have even had a moment of spiritual contemplation. Stranger things have happened!

The House of the Virgin Mary

As we passed through the ticket gates in Ephesus itself, my heart began to soar. As my boots passed from puddle to puddle on the marble streets, I couldn’t believe that the streets were still intact! I was walking on ancient streets! Even on a Saturday it wasn’t too crowded; I can’t imagine what it must look like in summer though!

The crowning glory of Ephesus is its famous library facade: the Library of Celsus. Not many ancient ruins have preserved double story buildings. Just looking up at is impressive. Waiting a few minutes for a big tour group to pass by, I walked down the stairs and marveled at the architecture of the past.

We took our time walking from spot to spot around the city, as I snapped a million photos, I listened to Canan explain everything to me. The sun would occasionally peep through the clouds, illuminating the beautiful white city; standing high up on one of the hills next to the main street, it wasn’t hard to imagine its glory from milleniums past. 

What amazing moments happened there? What have these columns and walls witnessed over thousands of years? God, my nerd imagination was running wild!

After an enormous lunch, Canan and I visited a local school that teaches carpet weaving. Turkey being famous for its silk carpets, they are hawked just about everywhere imaginable. The carpets there are woven by hand by the girls, and once they graduate the receive a share of the sale. Some of the large silk carpets take years to finish. I definitely do not have the patience for that.

Sitting on $100,000 worth of silk, rubbing my hands over other luxurious handwoven carpets, I was overcome with emotion and a yearning to nest. I WANTED TO BUY A CARPET. Thankfully, my banks do not have that much faith in me, and I did not have enough money on a credit card to buy one. And since I basically live out of a backpack, what the hell would I do with a carpet?

This was Bank of America’s response to my credit limit increase request. Um, how about nope.

Promising myself that one day when I’m older and more settled, I would return to this little school and buy a carpet for my house.

They gave me a silkworm cocoon to take home with me, which I put in my leather coat pocket for safe keeping only to find it a month later at a Starbucks in Baltimore.Nice memory! I might try hiding travel souvenirs more often only to find them later and remember a beautiful moment in a beautiful place.

We also stopped by the ruins of the Temple of Artemis, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. I could hardly believe my eyes as we walked around the field of where one of the greatest temples in history once stood.

What’s left of the Temple of Artemis

I was so sad to leave Ephesus and to say goodbye to Canan and About Ephesus, but I know I will be back one day. Fittingly, we finished the day as the sun was setting over the Aegean. Will gulls calling out for bread and my hair blowing wildly in the tangy sea breeze, I was infinitely happy that I took the time to travel all the way to this region of Turkey.

“What we do in life echoes in eternity.”

Whether I will forge my own mark in history, or spend my life tracing in the footsteps of the great civilizations before me, I was content in the knowledge that I was following my dreams, and seeing places of historical and profound significance. Thank you Russell Crowe.

Have you ever been to Ephesus? Do you like visiting ancient or historical sites while traveling? Do you love Gladiator as much as me?

More reading on Turkey:

• Is it safe to travel in Turkey as a solo female traveler?
• Don’t underestimate Turkey in winter!
• Hot Air Ballooning in Cappadocia.

*Many thanks to About Ephesus for the complimentary tour. Like always, I’m keeping it real – all opinions are my own

The post Exploring the Ancient City of Ephesus in Turkey appeared first on Young Adventuress.

When I reflect back on my time in Turkey this winter, so many colors and tastes assault my memories that it is hard to narrow in on what exactly drew me there. What was it about this East-meets-West country that tugged at my heart? Not Europe nor Asia nor Middle East – or was it all three? Istanbul was a veritable melting pot of everything I’ve experienced while traveling and continued to elude categorization for me, something that drove my OCD personality bananas.

Maybe that is why I loved Istanbul so much. It can’t be defined or looped into one specific category of city. Istanbul is full of layers, a saucy city that entertains and teases. Once you start to explore her and get to know her better, peel back the layers, is when she truly starts to shine. It’s a destination unlike any other, three for the price of one -how cool is that?

Walking through the spice markets you get a glimpse of the “east” but exploring the grand bazaar didn’t feel anything like the huge markets of Cairo. Patrolling the narrow streets of the Sultanahmet felt both like the most traditional yet touristic part of the city. How it managed to achieve that feat is beyond me. Meandering the wide avenues and cosmopolitan streets of the Beyoğlu area of Istanbul harkened back to my years in Europe. In short, Istanbul is confusing.

Like so many of my adventures, it all started out with a photo.

This simple yet poignant image by Niyazi Ugur Genca was circling around the Pinterest boards a year or so ago when it first caught my eye. The cherry red cable car in the snow symbolizes everything I imagined Istanbul to be. Historic, bohemian, fancy and different – embracing the glory of days gone by. It reminded of Porto, Portugal and a handful of other fringe-European cities that managed to escape the sweeping gentrification of the 20th century. This was the side of Istanbul I wanted to get to know.

Found on Pinterest, can’t find source

Beyoğlu

I managed to spend a good chunk of time in an area of Istanbul known as Beyoğlu. This is very much the cosmopolitan side of Istanbul; 200 years ago, Beyoğlu was where the Europeans in Istanbul dwelled, even now you can still find many embassies in this neighborhood. This is cosmopolitan Istanbul at its finest. Beautiful art noveau buildings rub shoulders with neoclassical facades, while locals hurry to and from designer shops like Prada and Christian Louboutin. With my face smooshed up against the window display eyeing those my dream shoes, even converted into Turkish lira, I still couldn’t afford those beautiful red-soled stilettos.

The heart of Beyoğlu is İstiklâl Caddesi, a long elegant avenue traversing the district. Bursting with life and color, this street is brimming with bookshops, cafes, art galleries, sophisticated restaurants and clubs, with the quaint red tram slowly moving back and forth among a sea of people. Istanbul 2013 or Paris 1920? My “fruitful” imagination – as my mom has dubbed it – was going wild.

Found on Pinterest, can’t find source

What sealed my blossoming love for this neighborhood was getting my fortune read in the Turkish coffee with Selin on my last day in town. Turkish coffee is so thick that when you finish it, the bottom of the cup is covered with grounds and dregs, similar to tea leaves. From what I understand it’s a very “Turkish” thing to do getting your fortune read in the coffee dregs, and I am all about trying something new. Finding a reputable good person who speaks English to read them for you, however, is no easy feat. Luckily Selin took me to the woman she usually frequents and agreed to translate.

For the next hour my mind was blown. How the HELL did she know all this stuff about me? Things I’ve never blogged about – just to clarify. Freaky deaky but a fun experience and a great way to go out with a bang!

Source

Sultanahmet

Back over in the old quarter of town, things look a bit different. Exchanging the wide art deco styled structures for a hodge-podge of mashed together colorful buildings, winding and steep cobbled streets with a minaret or two thrown in and you’re in the Sultanahmet. This is the most touristic area of Istanbul, with sites like the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sofia right in the center; Though things in this area can be kitschy, creepy and/or impressive, it’s a good place to base yourself for a first visit to Istanbul.

Looking for a place to stay in Istanbul is pretty overwhelming, but I usually start with sleeping recommendations in my trusty Lonely Planet. When traveling, I try to stay in as unique, local, and historic places as possible. Skyscraper hotels with endless hallways and monotonous rooms don’t cut it for me. Small, locally owned and operated, with a view is how I like it. Luckily for me, the Hotel Empress Zoe fit the bill perfectly.

After some frightening hotel and hostel experiences  over the years, I’ve learned to double check reviews online at TripAdvisor before booking, just to be on the safe side. As soon as I saw a photo of the façade of the Hotel Empress Zoe, I was sold.

What girl WOULDN’T want to stay here?

Pale yellow and white, and covered with draping lilac wisteria, and green vines covering the neighboring ancient bathhouse roof, with the tall minarets and famous dome of the Hagia Sofia behind it, it couldn’t look more quaint and charming.

Owned by two American expat sisters in Istanbul, Ann and Cristina have built up and restored this hotel with decades of effort and love.

The entrance is inside a beautiful restored cistern from the bathhouse next door. Climbing up a wrought iron spiral staircase, you emerge inside the hotel itself. Filled with natural light, marble staircases, replicas of striking Byzantine frescoes on the walls, the Hotel Empress Zoe felt more like a historic site than a hotel. Exploring will lead you a secret garden filled with overflowing flower pots, vine-covered walls, and tables and chairs tucked away next to fountains and underneath ivy-coated trellises, with a cat or two for company. I spent my mornings drinking coffee in the sunshine and having a huge breakfast reading. Heaven.

Without a doubt my favorite part was the garden. I love a good garden, and finding green spaces in big cities is not always easy.

My cozy room was nestled at the top of several spiral staircases, tucked away across from the rooftop terrace. With a giant dark wood build in canopied bed in the center with its own mini balcony affording views of the Bosphorus, my little room was perfect for the female solo traveler.

Very rarely do I stay in a hotel or apartment that I enjoy so much I don’t want to leave, but that was definitely the case with the Hotel Empress Zoe. Over the years I’ve stayed in hundreds of different accommodations, and I’ve promised myself I would only write about the best ones, the unique ones, the ones I would gush about to my family and friends back home. No one wants to read about boring, cookie cutter beige hotels on this blog (at least I hope not!)

In fact, my last night in Istanbul, I stayed in and watched the sun set from my balcony while drafting some of my first blog posts about Turkey and stuffing my face with leftover candy and Turkish delight from my Istanbul food tour with Selin. Breathing in the fresh sea breeze and listening to the gulls cry as the orange sun lazily drifted behind the rooftops and minarets of the mosques, I felt at peace for the first time on my trip.

It’s important not to forget to relax once in a while on an epic journey, right?

What’s the coolest place you’ve ever stayed? Have you ever visited such a diverse city? Have you ever been to Istanbul?

Hamam style bathroom

*Many thanks to the Hotel Empress Zoe for the complimentary stay. Like always, I’m keeping it real – all opinions are my own.

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Wadi Rum, image Mohammad Asfour

It has literally taken all my self-control to scream out this news to the world, but I can’t hold it in any longer; I’m going to Jordan!

For the curious minded, Jordan is in the Middle East, next to Israel, underneath Syria, and to the left of Saudia Arabia. In case you were wondering, it’s NOT in Syria, and Damascus is NOT in Jordan, so no need to have a heart attack (mom).

In three weeks, I will be cozily tucked in on a long flight to Amman with only my Kindle, iPod and Tylenol PM for company hurdling towards the trip of a lifetime.

Lonely Planet

But what to expect?

Isn’t Jordan dangerous?

Over the past few years I have developed a surprising interest in the Middle East. For the longest time Europe held the number one place in my heart, and it still does for the most part. But somewhere out of the blue, somewhere between hiking in the mountains of Morocco, to sailing down the Nile to getting lost in the spice markets of Istanbul, I fell in love with this area of the world.

So different and so misunderstood, every time I head to the Middle East, I get more curious and discover new things, and I learn that everything I thought I knew was wrong.

But I want more. I want to see it all. Though I don’t believe in bucket lists, preferring goals with a purpose; but I think I will go ahead and shout it out loud here on my blog (hoping you all will hold me to it) that I hope to visit all of the countries in the Middle East by the time I’m 30. That’s do-able, right? (NO ONE TELL MY MOM, PLEASE!)

Petra, Jordan

Upon reflection, what surprised me the most about the Middle East is just how just how different it is from what is forced down our throats in American media.

Terrorists this, Taliban that, Arab insurgents over there, Muslims who kidnap Christians everywhere.

REALLY? Think hard, do you all really believe that that is indicative of the entire Middle East? If so, that’s very small-minded and you should be ashamed.

America by and large generalizes the Middle East as a foreign and dangerous place, and of course some of it is well-deserved. Parts of the Middle East are volatile and unsafe, parts are war zones. But not all, and it’s important to remember that.

Jordan isn’t Afghanistan. Amman isn’t Baghdad.

To hold a huge region of the world accountable for the actions of a few, no matter how damaging, is not cool. With several of the most dangerous cities in the world located in the United States, with astonishing amounts of gun violence and crime (have we forgotten about Sandy Spring already?) I really don’t think we as a nation are in much of a position to be pointing fingers.

Since being invited to Jordan, I have researched a lot about safety there, and realized that it’s considered to be one of the safest places in the Middle East, with little violence or danger. I think I’ll mostly be worried about packing enough sunscreen

Expectations

For those who know me well, I always root for the underdog. By its location, Jordan has been looped in with its neighbors in terms of both negative backlash from uprisings in places like Egypt and the civil war in Syria. Poll in, how many of you have been to Jordan, want to go to Jordan, or even have had Jordan on your radar as a possible trip? Be honest.

Over the past two years, a lot of travel bloggers have traveled to Jordan, but when I think about people I know personally who have been who aren’t bloggers or journalists, it’s less than a handful. But from those people who’ve been and lived there, I have heard nothing but good things! I can’t wait to see what’s in store for me!

The Dead Sea image John Vicory

What I am hoping to get out of this trip is both a better understanding of the history and culture in Jordan and the Middle East, an endless ocean that generally leaves me with more questions than when I started, as well as a better insight into traveling to this region nowadays as a young mouthy blonde American girl.

Just like with Turkey, I can’t wait to showcase Jordan as a great introduction to the Middle East, and as a safe destination, especially for women. I will also eat ALL THE FOODS. Must go buy more leggings.

A note on dreams 

For me, this trip means so much more than 10 days in the Middle East. Being invited to Jordan by Visit Jordan symbolizes that my dreams are coming true.

Why? I have been blogging for three years now, but until a year ago, I never realized its full potential of my site.

Last September I met the Visit Jordan folks at the Bloghouse in Spain, a week that changed my life. That was the week that I realized not only was blogging my passion, but that I might actually be able to make a career out of writing and travel. Since then I threw all my effort into my site. I work full time and spend the rest of my time on my blog, writing and editing every single day for the past 8 months.

As I flew home a few days later, I remember thinking to myself, one day that will be me. One day I’ll go to Jordan too. If that isn’t any indication that dreams do come true when you work your ass off and never give up, I don’t know what is.  

So a special thanks to Michael Hodson, Michael Tieso, Stephanie Yoder, Cailin O’Neil, and Kate McCulley for helping me, letting me badger them with inane questions, pointing me in the right direction when I was lost, and most of all, believing in me. Thanks a million.

Ok, enough jabbering and philosophizing, I know you guys want me to dish the details, right?

My Jordan Journey

I can’t give away all my secrets, but let’s just say this trip is going to be EPIC. Here are 5 things I am really looking forward to. Be sure to follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to keep up with my adventures while I am in Jordan.

Have you ever been to Jordan? Have any tips for me? Is Jordan on your dream travel list?

Visiting the ancient city of Jerash

Finally getting to visit Petra

Image

Sleeping in a Bedouin tents under the stars in the Wadi Rum desert

Snorkeling in the Red Sea

Visiting the Dead Sea

Image Mohammad Asfour

*All images are from the Visit Jordan Pinterest page, unless otherwise noted

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