Collect Experiences. Not Things. :')

May 05, 2005

Hama, Syria

Yesterday was day 50 of the trip, I'm tanner and a bit skinnier as you can see when you compare this picture to the one on the right...It's a very scary picture, I'm sure you willl agree....and yes, I still have the orange hat... anyway, having a great time....here are just two random observations of the trip as far:

1) At the beginning of the trip visiting a new place, city, or country, every couple of days to a little getting used too. Every time we arrive in a new place, we need to figure out the basics…how much does a taxi or a can of coke cost? This can get a little tiresome, but luckily the trip is going at a relaxing pace and I’ve learn to just go with the flow. Each day is a new adventure even with respect to the most of the menial tasks.

2) The other aspect that takes a little getting used too is losing personal items. Almost everyday we are staying at a different campsite or hotel and it’s very easy to loose things. At first I would be annoyed at myself for losing things, but then I discovered that the items that I lost would reappear in a day or two. Generally, what I discovered is that I’ve just misplaced them. Or in the rare case, when I left something behind, I’ve discovered that someone else on the truck would find it and return it to the truck. Now when I loose things now, I generally don’t worry, I just wait a couple of days and the items generally reappear.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mike, all I can say is awesome. The pictures are unbelievable! Keep the posts coming!

btw - are they getting tired of you making them ramen noodle soup all the time?

We think of you often!

Ken, Carole and the boys.

Anonymous said...

Mike - Eric (Little E) wants to know if you saw any mummy's!

Ken

Mike said...

Eric
Yes, we saw some mummies. We even went to a mummification museun. The museum explained the process of mummification, but they didn't let us take pictures. :(

Mike

Anonymous said...

Very cool pictures and insights. I am learning so much from your posts!

You look tanned :-)

Marwana

Anonymous said...

Mike
Most of the photos look spectacular. Yes, I can imagine how cool it must be to read about those middle-eastern civilizations and see the remains/ruins at the same time. Sounds like you are relaxing and have a lot of free time. Every so often I think about what you are doing. Not working is a great experience in itself.
Its interesting to see the concerns of someone who is not working and just hanging out. If you were back here in the US you wouldn't care about how much a cab or coke costs or that you are losing small items, you would be more concerned about other things. How are the people that you are hanging out with ?? Is your transportation set-up comfortable ?? Do you get tired of traveling ??
My big trip this year is to east coast for Memorial Day and stay two weeks. I will go to Mark's in Delaware for 5 days and then go to NJ to see family for 8-9 days. I will stay in a hotel in NYC with my cousin and his wife for the 2nd weekend, which I am looking forward too. Been very busy with work for the past 4 weeks(50-60 hrs/week)but things are starting to slow down a little. Haven't had much of a life. I have been looking for and applying for jobs but no bites yet. Kwen's baby is the big news. Baby is beautiful. Looks great. Saw ken and wendy a few days after the birth and they were very tired. Only getting a few hours of sleep a night. Ken is off from work until June.
Enjoy the trip,
Bob

Anonymous said...

Mike - Eric says WOW! Douglas wants to know what kind of animals you've seen and where are you now?

Ken

Mike said...

Doug,
The only animals that we've seen are sheep, goats, horses, donkeys and camels. There aren't many exotic animals in the middle east, but hopefully we'll see some animals such as tigers and elephants in India next month. Currently, I'm in Eastern Turkey, but I'll be leaving for Iran tomorrow. Mike

Mike said...

I have to wait for a high speed internet connection before I can post. It been difficult finding one in Iran. Hopefully there will be more opportunities for uploads in India. Besides we've been doing alot of traveling and camping. There is not internet access when camping. :)

Anonymous said...

Mike, very intersting pics. I can't decide if I'm more fascinated by your good looks, or the pics!
Enjoy the trip and stay safe
.....A NYC fan of yours!