Adventures of Ange

Well folks. I'm home. I wanted to post one last entry to give a bit of closure to my trip and to do a bit of reflection on my experiences in the past months.

Lets start with some basic stats:
15-Number of international flights I took.
11-Number of 5 hour or more train rides I took
10- Times I had a private room
9-Times I got seriously lost
8-Different brands of beer I tried
7-Countries I have been wrongly assumed to be a prostitute in.
6-The number of months I went without wearing deoderant.
5-Number of items I still have from when I left home- backpack, sleeping bag, underwear, journal, passport (this is all I really need to live!)
4- Times I got on a train and accidentally sat in first class, only to be shamefully demoted to the rear cabins upon ticket inspection.
3-Days I spent living in the Madrid airport.
2-People I met that were my age.
1-Number of times I rode a donkey.

I have met people from Madagascar to Japan to Argentina. They've been teachers, boy scouts, salesmen, prostitutes, donkeys, lawyers, hobos, students, hippies, buddhists, muslims, DJs, poker champions, forest elves, IT guys, farmers, clothing designers, violinists, homemakers, models.

I was AnGEEEEla, Gela, Malika, Pakeza, Rasta Woman, Sitr Git, and above all, a damn GOOD flavour smeller.

I've drank rot in Germany, wodka in Poland, kahve in Turkey, absinthe in Italy, Port wine in Portugal and Berber whiskey in Morocco.

I've driven illegally, jaywalked, illegally associated with locals, trespassed, black ridden public transport, smoked hashish, forged signatures, and was the technical half of a major weapon smuggling.... I mean... nothing.

I'd like to list my lowest points....
-24 hour consecutive vomit-a-thon in Rome
-Feverish and sick on Gran Canaria
-Losing my half-filled sketchbook of all kinds of buildings people and places!
-Let's just say... "The Marrakech Marauder", "The Turkish Chase" and "The Portuguese Masturbator"
-Getting money and bank card stolen in Heathrow

And the highlights....
-Roadtrip with Aussie Rasta Nat in Turkey
-The sunny Essaouira beach with my Moroccan love
-First night at Beneficio, commune in Spain, out of the rain and into the tipi, an oasis of drumming, tea, fire, warmth, song and dance
-My first tree-picked mango on Gran Canaria
-The Alcazar in Sevilla
-Picking wild camomile in Turkey
-My first bar beer with Shanti on Gran Canaria at Puerto Nieves
-The sound of the Selcuk prayer call at dusk

I've learned so much about money, being humble and being ignorant and wrong, about planning ahead and siezing the day. About poverty and affluence, about globalization and world issues. I've learned about religion and history. I've learned about myself, my family, and Canada, ironically.

I am home now and I have forgotten where I keep my CDs and how to make hemp bracelets. I am amazed at being able to speak to anyone how I like and be understood. I would love to share all my of experiences and specific moments with all of you, but my jaw would fall off. Above all know this: I had a great time. And I can't wait to jump on a plane again.

Okay. So After Frankfurt I popped into Krakow for two days, nothing much occurred except exploration of the beautiful city centre and around. There is a huge main square and tons of cafes, restaurants and bars at the perimeter and in the surrounding streets. Outside of the main old town is a ring of trees, fountains and peaceful trails, a park full circle.

I met in Krakow a Canadian. We had a conversation that lasted for five days, from Krakow to Budapest... it spanned night, day, restaurants and streets, philosophy, art, life, emotion. Budapest was brilliant, we did a lot of pointless walking, and it seemed everywhere we went we did not find what we were looking for, or things were closed on the day we went. It kind of felt like a failed attempt at seeing the city, the best part was the vegetarian restaurants we found, and the CDs Christian bought me for my birthday. The hostels were great as well... in the first we had a Bob Marley themed room!

So I hit a train back to Krak, arriving yesterday morning sleepless. It was my birthday. I decided to visit Auschwitz, partly for purposeful irony, partly for lack of time to see it otherwise. What can I say, it was heavy. I found a relative in the book recording Poles in the camp. I took a bus back to the hostel, as soon as I stepped in the door, I was invited out by a hostel worker guy... anyways after drinking a bit and playing dirty jenga, we headed out to a few bars. Ended up spending most of the time at a Latino club celebrating the death day of Bob Marley... on my birthday?! CLEARLY I am the reincarnation of Marley Himself! Anyways the reggae was good and the vodka shots flowed. I came back to the hostel for a few drunken emails and hit the bunk.

Today is a huge festival for students... the square is PACKED, everyone is dressed up; there are communists, trees, old women, bagels, vikings, cavemen, ancient romans, hippies... everything in between. I am overlooking the fest from the window, debating whether or not to join the chaos... I walked with the parade from the university earlier... the 15 minute walk took over two hours! I love Polish people.

So I left Selcuk. I almost cried, saying goodbye to Enis, the Kurdish carpet shop owner. Said goodbye to Mehmet and his gorgeous son Hakan who own Ejder restaurant the night before, and Mazen the next day, as he helped me find the bus to the airport. Everyone is so sweet there... I got numerous job offers, it was truly hard to leave.

So I arrived in Frankfurt yesterday. I woke up with an older woman sleeping in the bunk under me, she is from Boston, and spent a good chunk of time arguing with me about what and where the great lakes were. Excuse me?

Frankfurt is a pretty city, very... German. Clean, smooth and efficient. It feels large and spacious. The people can be quite cold, especially compared to what I experienced in Turkey. But everyone is quite helpful so far and I have had no problems. I did a kind of walking tour earlier this morning in the sun, passed by the main shopping district filled with boutiques and beautiful things. There is nutella everywhere. And I found a nice salad... with TOFU in it!! I can't believe it!!

Also I found an art store with actual Picasso originals! And things from Matisse, Chagall, Bacon, and Miro!!! I was shocked. I will go to the modern art museum in a bit... can't wait.