Get your knowledge on

The library at efes. One of the seven wonders of the ancient world. I forgot my library card so I couldn't rent any books

Two types of families

Here I am with 2 different families I was spending time with. One was planned, one was not. One I knew they were family the other I did not. Here I am infront of Yusufs house in Orhanli village. Where the air is full of fresh food cooking one minute and cow whose products you will be eating for lunch the next. Talk about fresh. I feel disconnected from food much of the time and how far it has travelled to get to my plate. Is this actually organic, where is it coming from, how far did it travel to get here? How long has it been sitting for? In this village none of would ever even be on ones mind, obviously its all from within the village and their own luscious gardens. Note above our heads grapes growing. Anyways the sound of the village was full of kids running around, bicycles crashing and family talking in Turkish and Arabic.  Sight was full of houses of all colors and coloful fruits hanging from trees. The taste was delicous food and dust from the streets and the feel was family,  everyone either was or acted like they were family.  Not in the "I was born into it" way but in the "these people are the most important people in my life, they are my life" way. Kindof like my aunt nelly one night up at the great gatsbys pad said "love is love and family is everything".

In the other picture I am in a cave house with some Turks after one night I was told through broken English " We Al Capone, but good, Turkish Mafia". No worries nothing bad happened and I did not witness anything bad. Just a crazy thing to find out as you are sitting in their isolated cave house with a pittbull outside,  the Quran in the center of the bookshelf and my name is Macabee and I just was in Israel. This is info I kept to myself.

Hierapolis

One of the most complete restored theaters in the world and some of its artwork to accompany it. I believe it dates back to the 1st century! Holy shit! Also its important to note I made sure to go to the bathroom BEFORE going in. See mom I do learn from the past...sometimes

Pammukale

Ancient city of hierapolis mixed in with a calcium mountain full of hotsprings and russian tourists. Not too shabby of a monday. Also I got offered a job at the hotel I stayed at. If it were on the coast I might have said yes!

The 4 little Ducks

In Tel-Aviv the only night we went out me and a guy made eye contact and realized we knew the other but we were unsure how. We shortly figured out we were both Ducks who had just graduated (well basically). He was traveling with 2 other ducks and we all met and started talking. How crazy we had all gone to the same school for four years probably brushing shoulders on campus, at parties and other school events but never said hi to the other. Now in Israel all of a sudden we were all friends because we were ducks. We all had plans of going to Turkey but we had different routes but talkd about meeting up. However plans are hard to figure out if you don't communicate and we were all having fun and meeting each other was on neither of our minds.

After a sweaty squished bus ride for 2 hours from antalya to olympus I made a b-line for the sea to cool off. Looking down at the pothole infested dirt road I briefly looked up to see some people who looked oddly familiar.  Sure enough the ducks were all in the same little town walking down the same little dirt road at the same time. Also it turned out we were even staying at the same hostel. Life is crazy basically is what it comes down to. We couldnt have planned that if we tried to, it just had to happen that way.

The next 3 days (even though I was only planning on staying for 1) were full of scuba diving, trekking up a mountain without a route, sea kayaking among many laughs. It was awesome hanging out with them and it sucks to say that not all of us will be at U of O when we go back because it was so much fun.

Now I am traveling on to pammukkale, which are natural salt baths coupled with an ancient greek town! I only have a week left in Turkey and to be honest im a little bummed because Turkey is so awesome! But I know that China and whatever lies ahead will be incredible also. It will be a major shift from here in almost every aspect,  that is for sure!

Mom- goodluck starting work and being everyones favorite lady on the 4th floor

Caitlin- have fun being a freshman! Haha dont get hazed and read your books and think about them

Emma - goodluck and have fun starting school at NT or TGS and try to save some bananas for the rest of us.

Pops- Go Cloudbakers and keep creating an amazing environment,  and keep riding your bike!

Jihelah- goodluck starting school in Boston after your time off!

Uncle Osh- keep kiteboarding while you can because im missing it! Also eat some of those fish tacos for me.

Cousin Mark- take some awesome pics when the seasons change and listen up to the last of the house concert season!

I see the sea

Antalya-side

I have been sleeping on the balcony of yusufs cousins apartment in antalya. His name is yusuf also and he is actually crashing here until he finds a place as well. Everythint here has been great except my health. My stomach is slowly getting better but ive been struggling for the last 4 days. I took advice the advice of my previous hotel owner to tske asprin and sprite. Originally I felt better but overtime everythint got worse. Luckily yusufs brother Ali, who is in residency here and graduated number 1from his med school class is here, he told me that asprin and sprite is terrible for me and gave me other intestinal medicine to take. He is an angel. But I am now recovering and feeling better every day. Health is so important and being sick is not fun no matter where you are or who you are with.

Either way I have continued to do activities, slowly gaining back my health. I went to a close beach town side. I first went to the waterfalls which was a mistake and a tourist trap. I shortly left and headed for the ancient greek city of side. Here the city gate, theater (which they stilk host events in), ancient aquaducts, they ancient city walls and the temple of Apollo and Athena. In the previous picture I am standing with the temple of Athena or Apollo. They are next to each other while one is barely standing while the others infrastructure is only visible. This again demonstrates how humans are amazing. How did they carve these amazing precise pillars? And the detailed faces and artwork in the pillars?  How did they build something do tall and get it to stand without a crane? I guess you work with what you have, finding a way to do things with what they had available.

Side was ancient greece and modern Europe. It is a huge destination for Europeans and they were in full force. The beach was full of resorts restaurants music and dancing spaces. I slept on the beach on a lawn chair! It was actually quite comfy. Plenty of people slept scattered around the beach both for necessity and enjoyment.  The next morning I pretended I was staying at a hotel and got free breakfast!  Ya baby!

Antalya-side

Cappadoccia sunset

Love everyines comments and im reading them all and smiling! Im trying to get more pics up but it keeps failing to publish them. Here however was todays sunset at cappadoccia in the town of göreme.

What chu thinkin' lincoln?

BWhat do you think about doing something right the first time? How possible is it and what does it mean to even do something right?

I have been in cappadoccia now for 4 days without a plan. I have had 3 1/2 great days. The 1/2 bc I got a bug and was sick for half the day. But this place is so unique in the world and I have realized more and more how Turkey is as well. An example of almost being paralyzed by options. Rent a bike, car, scooter, hot air balloon, what valley to hike, what museum to go to, etc etc etc. Along the way I have asked many locals opinions and i have received great advice. I am also travelling with a guy I met who has input also,  so long as we can communicate bc his English is how people here would say "50 50". But now that I am leaving tomorrow to go to antalya I realize what I would do if I was here again. Where to stay, what to do, what to rent. I have had an amazing time in cappadoccia and would say its on a "must do list". I got a taste of culture and youth life with memet in urgub, a taste of unbelievable geology, human innovation, and churches in goreme. Overall human beings are amazing and have been for a long time.

Next stop antalya, as my friend says the best spot on the Mediterranean.  I beleive him as far as popularity goes because everyone I've talked to seems to share a similar opinion. However I almost made a last second decision to go to Ankara, the capital, for only one reason. To go to the Anatolian first civilization museum. Gordian (sp) is the first civilization in the world. At this museum they have artifacts from the first civilization and it is supposed to be amazing. But I would end up spending too much money and time to go to one museum. I chose to spend more time exploring the coast and Istanbul. But my nezt visit to Turkey ill be there.

Some thoughts on the future: Ive been thinking a bit about the future here and also some cool opportunities have popped up. Keep in mind these are just thoughts.

There are some more great Israel trips that some rich Jews are crazy and awesome for dishing out this kind of cash. At the end of our trip we got presented with 4 different options for living and working in tel aviv. A variety of different options: environmental, english, business and digital media classes. They range from 1, 000-4, 000 for 4-8months with apt, stipend and in some cases flights paid for. So I could do that for 4-6 months then go down to Eilat (sp) and work on a kibbutz and kite board and scuba dive. Maybe even be instructors (if I get good enough).

Another throught was to do a masters program abroad abd I wsd thinking Istanbul at an English speaking universiry. I met one of yussufs ciusins and he was studying there and loved it. Yussuf told me about how great of a university it is for all kinds of reasons. Now if I couldbonly remember the name.

But I think that I will want to go back to school for a little,  but not until I work (not a desk job) for a little. I really enjoy school and learning more than ever and I love the student life and environment. Also doing it in another country would be sickkkkk

Pictures!

Today was a brilliant day in capoadoccia! Im going to sleep now but will write more another time, no time to rest from havibg fun its hard to get a break. Here is me and the "3 beauties". Man are they ever! Cappadoccia is like walking on the moon and finding alien remnants of life. Bazar is the only word that comes to mind. Today I met a 44 year old Turkish dude and we chilled all day miscomnunicating, communicating through thinfs other than words, food, castles, backgammon, beer and laughs.

Here is another picture of me in a cave house in ürgüp, where I currently am. I am with some local Turks who I met through my hostel owner named memet. They speak very very little English but we have now hung out 2 nights in a row. Very fun crazy people.  Especially when you cant understand them

Gobble gobble

I got to Turkey just 2 days ago. I had to go to the airport with my birthright group at 1030 pm on august 7. After saying goodbyes to family after 10 days and potentially strangers for the rest of my life, I hope not. Wellll speaking for mostly everyone in my group haha. It was one of those moments that reminded me that opportunities only happen once (for the most part) and that you need to take advantage of them when you have them because that opportunity or moment will pass no matter if you want it to or not so you might as well give as much of yourself as you can. I feel like I did that for the most part, only sleeping 4hrs almost every night after a 10 hr time difference and waking up every morning and hiking asking questions and paying attention to speakers. However if it werent for the bus rides sleep I might not have made it.

Anyways after goodbye I had to wait for my flight at 4:30am. 6 hrs to pass, super tired, and in the middle of sleeping hrs. It was a bad decision to blow up my nillow (neck pillow) bc I soon woke up to an empty terminal. I wuickly grabbed my bag and ran on the flight right before take off. I then had a 10 hour delay in Istanbul but I met a kurdish guy who I might stay with when im in Istanbul. One of his first questions was "is it true that when you turb 18 you live separately from your family? " I soon found out how family oriented Turkish culture is.

After getting odd the plane I thought everyone spoke English.  Some signs were in English, thsy had announxements on th e flight in English, and the first few short convos I had were in English.  But I soon realized that ppl did not know much besides hello how are you and how to say numbers. This was suprising to me but had continued to be thid way everywhere ive been.

Meeting yussuf in the airport was surreal. Being the only white guy on the plane it wasnt hard for him to spot me. Flying in was beautiful to see as a mountain range separates him and the Mediterranean. Throughout the valley that he lives in I saw scattered villages filling in space between lots of agriculture. Flying in I was thinking how I only knew yussuf in Eugene.  I considered 27 and emerald as his home and the turf fields bars and other spots as our hangout areas. But now I was going to be able to actually see what shaped yussuf. Now he wasnt just from Turkey but I wss going to get to be with yussuf in Turkey.

Here is  is the dessert that is famous in Hatay, kunefi ( sp) it is a perfect blend of soft and crispy. Wow was it amazing, youll have to come try it for yourself!

Airport lovin'

Wow wow wiii. Sitting here at my new home for the next 4 hours with shoes full of sand, bags under my eyes, all my belongings for 4 more months and a whole new set of memories and friends. And also important to note I am alone for the first time in 200 hours, without taglit group 599. I already used up my right by birth to go to Israel for essentially free for 10 days. What a lucky guy I am to have this chance, so s big thanks to my Jewish heritage and to the program for taking jews as religious as I am, whats the torah again?

But seriously anyone who has this opportunity would be a fool not to take it. Travelling around a large part of the country,  seeing so much world and rekigious history, trying amazing meals mainly of hummus, kebob and falafel, and seeing a whole new spectrum of lifestyles. Did I mention it was free? Maybe thats my jewish side coming out.

My thoughts on Israel before I went have drastically changed as I think everyone on my trips did. Coming into israel I imagined it being a very dangerous country always in a state of conflict.  I imagined all those big nose, pushy, religious stereotypes that I imagine a lot of ppl do. But reality has proved me wrong, at least the one im living in. I felt extremely safe in israel walking aroud with my camera and phone out in public without feelings of threat as ive felt in other places. Internally israel is safe, within their own communities. However these people do live and have lived in a country with the threat of war. At times on a daily basis and other times not in many years. Many of the ppl we met have lost friends or family or acquaintances not to old age but to what are labeled as terrorist attacks or in battle. But as a tourist this is hard to imagine as you are walking around the cities as everything feels perfect and you have to remind yourself sometimes where you are and the status of Israel to many other countries. Also I realize that I only got to really see/hear one side of the story. Im sure if I was in Palestine my outlook would probably be completely different.
Either way most israelies were not religious and very similar to us Americans and fit right in. They were jusy normal people who wanted to have fun and be happy.

Here are 2 pictures from our sunrise hike at masadiah. Such an amazing place and unbelievable work by humanity to be able to live up there for many years. The sunrises over the mountains of jordan and over the dead sea (lowest point on earth. Here I am with 2 isrseli soliders about to finish their service, Ran and Idan.

Treats on treats

Emma- I think you would die at the market. Fresh fruits veggies and dates everywhere at the market. Not just Emma mom dad and Caitlin also but I mainly say Emma bc or her some might say a diet as weird as tofurkey, thats a white as honkey.

Anyway back to the market.  A well known night life writer in tel-aviv wrote that the obly good reason to go to Jerusalem was for this market. Every sense was in overload mode. With each strand full of buckets of their fresh colorful displays teasing you one afyer the next it would be impossible to go their without money and for some ppl its prbly hard not to spend al of it. The vegas for food and market lovers. Each stand had their own incredible odor filling the air and mixing with the next stand until the next stand took over and mix in the with following stand. Orthodox jews pushing their baby carriages like drunk drivers and people pushing hot hollah through the walkway moving at highspeed. Tourists lost in disbelief of the ambience and locals with their shopping lists bargaining for their weekly grociers. Yea, ive never been to a market in the same category as this caos, I heard that when im in Istanbul ill be in for a treat

City of David caves

Here are the caves that we walked through in the city of david. These tunnels were built in order to get fresh spring water in times of battle so they did not have to leave their city in order to retrieve water. Brilliant people and amazing tunnels considering they did this without any heavy  machinery and in only 2 years. It was a great way to cool off and get away from the hot sun, unless you can't find your way out!

FFT13 round 2

Argh! I wrote a big post last night but it did not send and is now not accessible on my phone but ill redo it! Sorry I have not been able to post because we have not had internet access and we have barely had any time to relax we've been so busy. We are now in Jerusalem on shabbot what a great time to be here. But im going to go back a few days in time, our second day. We started the day by going to the golan heights in the North of Israel. It was a hot abd dry hike at the beginning until we started to make some stream crossings as well as seeing beautiful wild purple flowers.  Along the way we saw old Syrian villages made of stone and burial sites that were impressive rock piles. As the day got hotter and the shade more sparse we came to an amazing canyon with an amazing swimming hole that we cooled off in. This was religion for me a perfect place at a perfect time. After the hike we eat "the best falafel in the world" and I would agree especially since the guy giving them out was a riot haha.

Then we went to another spot in the golan heights where part of the 6 day war in Israel was fought. As we were sitting in the former Syrian bunkers our amazing tour guide Beni was telling us vivid stories that painted the picture and put our imaginations into the scenario.

Next we went river rafting in the jordan river. The rapids were wild reaching as high as 0.01 (jk it was so calm). But just because the river was calm did not mean the passengers were. We were jumping on to others rafts spraying each other with our paddles, friends and strangers,  and just floating down the river in our lifejackets. My face hurt from laughing thr whole time.  The edges of the rivers were full of kids camping and splashing us with water. We even were spraying orthodox jews, oops.

Part of the story of the day for me was that I was supposed to meet up with Yak and Leah if they could make it. I told them 630 because we were supposed to be back at 6. But as time for me is not supposed to be on we made it back at 8. I felt bad but there was nothing I could do about it. It was so strange as I walked off the bus and saw 2 people waiting in the lobby that I knew were them. Walking in to meet family who existed but I never met, meeting parts of my family tree who have lived a different experience in my family and knew everone in my famiky in a much different way then I did. It was surreal. I listened to Yak tell me all kinds of stories that were filling in family history that I didnt even know existed. However Leah was very exhausted after waiting for me and driving 45 min to come seeme. AAlthough we only got to hang out for an hour it was great and it meant a loy that they went through hoops to see me. They even bought me 3 chocolate bars, maybe it was uncle oshers or as they called him howies influence on them