You Can Travel Too - And Seeing Leeches!

This is article is written for those of you who want to see the world but think it's too expensive.  I'm in Istanbul, Turkey now.  I had a talk with a young Turkish pharmacist yesterday, and he kept saying that he wanted to travel but had no money.  We talked about a strategy for him, and he said he never thought about that.  The conversation prompted me to write this article - You Can Travel Too.  And you should travel too.  The picture on the left is of a Turkish guy selling leeches to cure your ailments.

I touched the side of the jar because I know leeches can detect human warmth.  He then grabbed me, and I shook with a fright.  Haha, of course the leeches are in the bottle and wouldn't bite me.  But why are they such freaky creatures?  See; you need to travel too.  When in Los Angeles or Baldwin Park or Germany am I going to see something like this?

So far, I've been away for 30 days on holidays.  Most people would say they couldn't afford it.  But when I was 18, I told my parents I was going far, far away for awhile even without any money.  They laughed at me and said it wasn't going to happen.  I ended up in England that summer.  And since then, I've been traveling for over 14 years.  What's more important than money is that you have a desire and a want to see the world and the gall to tell the world that you can do it, no matter what people say.  So here are three rules to follow: 1) Don't be a tourist, 2) Don't get a hotel, and 3) Be Flexible.

Don't Be A Tourist

Let's start with a central tenet.  I want to dispel a myth here.  Traveling is only expensive for tourists. Conversely, traveling is cheap if you're not a tourist.  So - don't be a tourist!

Here's a good example.  Generally, speaking, in every country, going and leaving the airport is expensive.  Take for instance leaving LAX.  A shuttle from Baldwin Park to LAX can cost upward of a $50 or more.  It's the same all over the world.  When I was leaving Moscow airport, the taxi driver wanted a $100 to get me out of the airport.  This is the tourist rate.

But if you look at any airport, the workers are generally poor.  They don't live near the airport.  So - how do they afford the expensive airport rates?  They don't.  There's always the regular rate, which cuts on convenience.  So, going back to LAX - I take either the Baldwin Park metrolink or the fast bus to the LA train station.  Then, I transfer to the city bus for $8.  In total, it can cost $10 to $14.  You see the big difference in price?

My point isn't just getting in and out of airports.  You have to remember, every country has poor people, and even if they're poor, they're still doing a lot of touristy things.  For instance, yesterday, with my young pharmacy friend, I wanted to eat a few pieces of wonderful Turkish desserts, called Baklava (honey drenched pastries filled with nuts).  He said, "You don't buy them here.  This is where they screw the tourists.  We buy them somewhere else."  Somewhere else was half the price and the quality was probably even better. 

Skip the Hotel

I hardly ever use hotels.  Hotels are expensive and drain your money really, really fast.   I have enough miles to stay at one, but I'd rather travel for longer periods of time.

For instance, in one of the Turkish villages, I stayed at a wonderful cabin for $20 a night with breakfast.  Now, if I had picked a hotel, like I saw some Brits do, it would've cost $150 a night.  Do you see the huge difference?  They're one day costs me seven days.  And I want to be away for awhile.

Go back to the concept about not being a tourist.  Almost nobody in a country can afford the rates that a hotel charges.  So - don't stay at one.

Personally, I've chosen to stay with friends and locally owned places.  With the latter, you can negotiate the price.

Going back to the pharmacist, who said he couldn't travel, I told him to start hosting people on couchsurfing. (Couchsurfing is a website where you meet strangers and you're invited or get invited to open up your couch to a stranger.)  Here's why.

Did you know that Istanbul is the sixth most visited place in the world?  It has 8 million tourists in a year.  I told him, just invite guests from the countries you want to visit.  Develop a relationship.  Then, ask if you can visit them too.  He found the idea a workable and good one.  He wouldn't have to pay for lodging when he's away.

Be Flexible

At dinner, at the pharmacist's house, his parents asked me, "Why'd you chose Turkey?"  I said, "It was an accident."  People seem to laugh at the explanation, but it's true.  I was flexible and went where the winds pointed me.

Because I chose to, I purposely missed my flight to Morocco, my original destination.  I was stuck in Munich, Germany.  I had enough miles and there was availability to fly to Turkey.  I grabbed it.  I had no idea what was in Turkey.  I just went.  And that's how I went to Lebanon back in 2011 too.  Because I was flexible, I only spent $40 and miles for my flight from Munich to Turkey.

When you're flexible, an opportunity of some sort will pop up.  Actually, my travels to Cabo San Lucas was the same.  I asked the British Airway operator, "Where can I go in two days with miles for cheap?"  He said, "Cabo, Mexico."  I said, "Ok.  Book it."  That was nearly a free flight, and I had the most fantastic time there.

When you're on a tight time schedule, you spend more money attempting to make your destinations on schedule.  But when you have no set plans, it's easier to find deals.

Anyways, that's it.  I hope this article inspires my boxers in Baldwin Park to travel more.  God knows there's more to see than our corrupt, little, ghetto city.  You can see a good part of my adventures in Turkey here: The Journey To Butterfly Valley

There's a few of my travel secrets.  I guess the cat's out of the bag.  Uh oh.

Breaking News - More Corruption in Baldwin Park

(The corrupt officials of Baldwin Park - from left to right.  Council Member Raquel Garcia, Council Member Cruz Baca, Waste Management Consultant Terri Muse, Mayor Lozano, Council Member Susan Rubio, Treasurer Maria Contreras, Mayor Pro Tem Ricardo Pacheco, and Clerk Alejandra Avila)

I left on holidays to get away from the corruption.  You can keep the watchdog away from the corruption, but you can't keep the corruption away from him.

The LA Times wrote a story on the corrupt city today.  It starts off by stating:

"Two former Baldwin Park city employees are claiming they were fired in retaliation for opposing unethical behavior by city council members.

"In an 11-page claim filed June 2 with the city clerk's office, Vijay Singhal, the city's former chief executive officer, alleged he was forced from his job in retaliation for refusing to provide favors and concessions to friends and family members of Mayor Pro Tem Ricardo Pacheco and council member Susan Rubio, as well as organizations that financially supported them."

Read more here: LA Times Article on Unethical Ricardo Pacheco

Although I'm on vacation, let me give you the legal commentary.  The 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution, which applies to the State of California, states: "[N]or shall any person . . . be deprived of . . . property, without due process of law . . . ." (bold added for emphasis).

So, when Robert Tafoya, Ricardo Pacheco, and acting Manager Taylor fired the four, including the boxing coach who was making minimum wage at his job for fourteen years, the unenlightened forgot that the Constitution applied to them.  I mean, is it surprising that three of the public officials, including the Mayor, do not even have a college degree?  They're close to illiterate actually, and the mis-writings of Ricardo Pacheco who can't spell or use grammar prove it.

The Constitution applies to governments.  Baldwin Park is a city; therefore, it is government.  Government employment, including Julian's job as boxing coach, is a property right.  So, when the City fired four employees all at will without Due Process, they opened themselves up to huge liability.  Therefore, what these petty people didn't realize was that there are no such things as "at will" government employees.  Every government employee has a right to a procedural hearing.

Now, the City of Baldwin Park is going to be paying out millions for the decisions of these dumbos.

This is what you get when you hire a former personal injury attorney to handle Constitutional issues.  (City Attorney Tafoya also attempted to bill the City $50,000 for his first invoice.  That's more than 50 hours of billable hours a week.  He charges to drive back from downtown to Baldwin Park meetings, even though he has to go in that direction because his home is 10 minutes away in West Covina.  Money talks and logic walks.)

In short, Baldwin Park is run and managed by dumbos.  In this scandal, the following people are involved intimately or loosely: Pacheco, Rubio, Baca, Lozano, Garcia, former Council Member Garcia, Tafoya, and Taylor.  Do you see a pattern here?

Pacheco, Lozano, and Garcia erected a city monument once that said that "It was better before the Whites came."  Obviously, these people have no respect for the US Constitution and its history.

CSmonitor's Story On Baldwin Park's Racist Monument

Really, the District Attorney, Attorney General, and FBI need to do an investigation on these officials and administrators.  One only need to look through my other articles to see the level of corruption involved.

The Cats of Kas

So, while in Kas, I noticed all the alley cats.  I tried to talk to all of them.  Some of them like me; some of them don't.

Anyways, I got the idea to show you what Kas looks like through cats' eyes.  Before I left Kas, on my way to Patara, I decided to shoot the cats (with a camera, not a gun). 

I call this project - "Through the Eyes of Strays"

 This one was pretty cooperative.  Easy to shoot.  Rather a normal cat.  We'll name her "Lucky."

  This one didn't even know I was shooting him.  He reminds me of a first son because that's all they do in Turkey: nothing.  So, we'll call him "First Son."

This one definitely didn't like having his picture taken.  I'll call him "Paparazzi."

This one was kind of cute.  Enjoying staying cool from the Turkish heat.  We'll call him "Kind of cool."

 Oh - another black one.  She definitely knew I was taking a picture.  We'll call her Cleopatra.  She met Antony for a tryst in Turkey anyways.

 Oh, this one was my favorite one.  He looks like "Kind of Cool" but he was a lot friendlier.  He was by the old street.  Let's name him "Mr. Friendly."

 I thought this was a cool picture.  You see how hungry and lazy these cats are.  I don't even know if they were male or female.  I'll call one "Lazy One" and the other "Lazy Two."

That's it for my cats of Kas.

Below is some other pics that are non-cat reated.

 I said good bye to my lunch cook.  I really like her.  I always said hello to her when I passed her street.

The lighting isn't so great in this picture, but this was my hostel in Kas.  It was at the rooftop of the high rise.  Isn't it an amazing view?  And there were no mosquitoes at that height.  It was really cool just answering my emails on my computer from here.

I made my way into Patara - another ancient city that's older than Jesus.  It dates to 500 BC.  I'm staying at a lovely hotel for an incredibly reasonable price. 

Tomorrow though, I have to take a boat to the Butterfly Valley.

Trekking to Kas

I hiked 36 km (22.5 m) from my small fishing village and then hitchhiked the last 30 km (19 m) to Kas (pronounced "cash").  I was disappointed in myself that I didn't finish the 66 km (41.2 m) hike in a day.  I had 19 miles left to go.

After hiking up the mountain in the hottest part of the day, which this time was only 90 F (32 C) and not the 104 F (40 C) like on my last hike, I found my way into a small farming village of 100 people.  To detour a bit, it helped greatly that the temperature wasn't so hot, like the time I almost dehydrated.

I asked someone how much further to Kas and when he said 30 km, I realized that I wouldn't make it to Kas by nightfall.  It was already 4:30 pm, and it'd be at least another 5 hours to walk that distance.  The sun sets at 8:30 pm, and the estimated time of arrival would be 9:30 pm.  I'd have no light for the last hour.  That would mean I'd be lost on the trail, which I didn't want to happen again.  (I knew I should have started my hike earlier, but no, someone had to really enjoy his Turkish breakfast and savor the moment.  That someone was me.)

I stood by the road and stuck out my thumb.  It wasn't a very well traveled road; so, it took about an hour to find a ride.  A delivery truck took us through the mountains into the seaside town.  The whole way, I was upset at myself that I didn't walk the extra 19 miles.  I could've used the exercise.  But when the sun sets, it's a different problem for a traveler alone on the road.  You can walk 10 miles in the mountain without seeing a soul.  And like I said, if you get off the track, you certainly can die because no one will find you.

The first thing I noticed about Kas is that you had to go all the way up the mountain and then down it because Kas laid at the very bottom near the sea.  It was a small city carved into a deep valley, which had steep mountains for walls.  It's sandwiched into rock and water.  (To be honest, it's beautiful location  but it's probably a stupid decision made by the ancients.  A military force would certainly be able to take advantage of the height and pin the garrison against the ocean.)

Kas is very touristy.  Though some said it's better than my small fishing village, I disagree.  I don't feel the peaceful solitude as I did a few days before.

The up side is that my hostel is by the ocean at the top of a high rise.  It has an open canopy and the view of the town, ocean and Mosque are amazing.  There's a Greek island, maybe I'll go to that only 3 miles away from here.  I'll get a a Greek stamp in my passport.

I met a French guy at the hostel yesterday.  We shared travel destinations.  He raved about Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Argentina, and Chile.  I've been to none of those places.  So, time to go.  I've been to Europe six times in the last five years.  As I told my friend, perhaps no more Europe.  I'm Europed out.  That's more than once per year on average.

He also raved about Istanbul.  He said it was an incredible city, which I've heard over and over again.  In any event, I'm making my way there, eventually.

In Kas, I talk to all the cats.  Some like me.  Some don't.  I found a really ugly one that had a squashed face and was a bluish grey with ice blue eyes.  I pet it and it laid on his back for me to scratch his stomach.  I wanted it!  Too bad it already had a red collar and a chain collar.  Why did it need two?  It was so ugly with it's squashed up face that it was adorable too.  I wish I could've taken it home.

Anyways, I'll go see the Greek amphitheater, which is  where the ancient Greeks held their plays.  I have to make my way into the Butterfly Valley next.

I finished watching Season 4 of the Game of Thrones.  I'm 50% through my book.  I'm excited to select the next one.  People have been emailing me candidates.  So feel free to email me your top book selection if you read something that's changed your life in the last few years.

Where the cats roam in Kas.

Relaxing by the Mediterranean Sea

After nearly dying from thirst, I arrived in a small fishing village on the coast of Ancient Lycia.  After traveling for nearly two weeks, I finally felt like I found my peace.

I loved it here so much, I've stayed already for five nights.  Did I tell you, I really feel at peace?  So much so, I don't want to leave.

The place has a few tourists, but the Brits seem to know about it.  I think it's because it's really hard to get into this place, after all I trekked here from civilization.  I hope it doesn't get touristy because they would just build big hotels here, and the place would lose it's charm and loveliness.  (I took the picture on the left and all the pictures below.)

My day is rather uninteresting to the outside observer.  I start with breakfast.  Then, I watch the Game of Thrones or other shows I haven't kept up with on my netbook.  I do reading on my kindle.  Then it gets really hot in the afternoon, so I blast up the air conditioner in my room and nap.  When I wake up, I see the Turkish grandmother (picture below), who makes me an ancient pizza.  She kneads her own dough, then fries it on a big large skillet.  Then she adds feta, vegetables, and cut up tomatoes and cucumbers to it.  Rolls it up and gives me either a yogurt drink, which could be a tad salty, or some Turkish tea, which is pleasant and wonderful.  I really like her, and I smile at her and say Hello in Turkish every time I get the chance.  I'll bet the first pizzas were made this way. 

Then, when it cools down, I either go on a hike amongst ancient ruins or cool well springs; or, I take a dip in the ocean.  I saw a sea turtle yesterday, while I swam to a nearby sand key.  I live a hard life, don't I?

From time to time, I talk to the many ally cats.  Some like me; some don't.  I wish I could bring them all home with me, but I think mother won't appreciate it.  She usually ends up taking care of my pets, while I gallivant the world.  I hope the chickens and my African fish back home are ok.

Anyways, here's some pictures to show you the small fishing village, the town, the cat (which didn't like it's selfie taken), and the last picture of my German friend.  We had breakfast together, before I left, in Bavaria.

 Hotel I'm staying at.

My breakfast 

The lady who makes my lunch

Selfie with the Turkish Cat.  (Cat's camera shy).

My Bavarian Friend and I having breakfast together in Germany.  (This isn't in Turkey).  Can't believe we've known each other for six years now.

Almost Dying (Again) In Turkey

I was trekking on the Lycian Way, a 500 km (313 m) hike along the Southwestern Turkish coast.  I think I almost died on it.  It's not really conclusive I would have died, but the risk certainly went up.  The element of water has tried to kill me once.  Nearly Drowning at Sea.  Now the element of fire took its shot.

The Turkish path is generally terrible.  I've done treks in Germany and all over New Zealand.  The Turkish government hasn't 't maintained it so well.  When I hiked the path it was 104 F (40 C).  I got lost on the the terrible path because the bush outgrew it, you lose it, and in weather like that, you dehydrate quickly.

Even though I brought half a gallon of water with me, that, I drank it really quick, and even remember saving some, so I could keep hope alive that I had water.  But at some point, sweating profusely, I finished the water and nothing was left in the plastic bottle.

There was one point that it all seemed so hopeless.  The sea was below me.  There was no way to go forward.  The top of the cliff seemed impossible to get to.  No one was hiking on the path, and I knew no one would.  It's God awful I tell you.  Not the path.  But the fact that the trail wasn't maintained. 

I asked God to take my life because I was so miserable and desperate.  As I said, there seemed to be no hope.  I had run out of water.  No one would find me.  It was 104 F.  I was going to die, or at least I thought I would.  Perhaps someone would walk the trail randomly and find me.  But that was really not going to happen, at least for another few days.

It was like walking through a desert without any water.  You imagine that water will miraculously appear.  You hope if you crack a rock water will come from it.  You believe that it will rain.  You even consider drinking your own urine, but you have no urine because you have no water in you.

On your mind, all the time, is water.  You can feel the cotton mouth and the fact you can't sweat anymore.  And you know, you need water and the salt water in the sea is no good.  Every second you think about water.

You actually stop sweating.  I sweated so much, which I usually don't do, that my backpack was covered in salt crystals.  It was that hot.  Then a head ache starts pulsing through my head.

I had to make a choice.  Do something.  Do nothing and potentially die.  If I did nothing and lived, it'd be at the mercy of some hiker finding me in the middle of nowhere.  

Remember; I'm off the track.  So, it's most likely I'd die.  Even if someone hiked the trek, which no one was doing, how were they going to find me off the track?  Who's going to come looking for me?  People back home know I don't come back until mid July.

I could just see the headlines: Dumb American Tourist Dies On the Lycian Way Because He Didn't Have Enough Water.  I'm sure my "friends," like the Director of Parks and Recs, in Baldwin Park would be dancing with joy.  I just couldn't let any of this happen.

I decided to make my way to the top of the cliff.  So, I scaled the cliff, all the way to the top.  The plants hate you on this trail.  They all have thorns and spikes; so besides being on the verge of dying, I was being cut up the whole time.  My arms and legs felt like it was on fire from all the itching and cuts.

There was a miraculous tree on the top, though.  It looked different from all the other ones.  When I got to it, I hugged it because I knew it was leading me on the right path.  At the top of the ridge, I could walk on the boulders and stones now, away from the terrible plants - that blocked my way forward. 

From there, I was walked West, where I knew a village existed.  It was easier to walk because there were no thorny bushes blocking my path.  But from the top, I found the trail.  I followed it religiously. 

But the Turkish trail was so bad, I got lost again.  They seem to have started paths that go no where.  But this time, I got smarter.  I backtracked and I went on the other fork in the road.

After walking two more hours in the blazing sun, only thinking about water, but knowing I'd live (because I found the trail), I made my way back on the right track.  I eventually made it to a village of 200 people.  I owe the village my life.

There, a high school Turkish girl, brought me water, because I said, "Water.  Please."  She could see in my face I looked like I've been through Hell.  I felt like Hell.

She brought me a half gallon.  When you get that water, you don't care about anything else.  You'd give up your car, your money, whatever; to just have water.  That's how desperate you need it, and you know nothing else matters.

I drank it, in what seemed to be just a few gulps.  I drank it so fast I coughed and wheezed.  It went down the wrong hole.  Because I drank it so fast, I went dizzy.  My brain couldn't process that it was dehydrated and rehydrated in one instance.  (Apparently, on average it takes the brain anywhere 10-20 minutes to really understand the true state of your body.)

I was embarrassed to be in front of their house.  So, I walked a few yards, found some shade on the village road.  I sat down in the shade, but I probably would've collapsed if I stood up longer.  I napped for 30 minutes.  I could hear the village dogs barking.  I could hear the chickens clucking.  I thought of my home in Los Angeles and our three chickens.

As, I walked down the road, a Turkish village family invited me to their porch.  They gave me more water and fed me four cups of tea with sugar.  It was still scorching hot, and it was 4pm in the afternoon.

The family told me I could walk three hours to the next village.  I pondered whether I should walk or hitchhike.  On my way to the next point, some old Turkish man ran me out of his village, yelling at me.  He didn't even want me hitchhiking there. 

I managed to hitchhike my way to the biggest village, which is absolutely gorgeous and stunning.  It's a small fishing village off the coast of the Mediterranean.  It's really is gorgeous.  I love it.  I'm happy to be back with people.

I'm happy to be alive.

The next day, I thought through why this awful event happened to me.  Then I realized, I was unprepared.  All of my long distance treks have been in New Zealand and Germany, where the temperature are cooler.  This is the first time I've done a trek in such a scorching climate.  I've never experienced how fast your body loses water.  It's subliminal, really.  Also, I started the trek much too late in the day, 11am.  Also, I learned a valuable lesson on these Turkish paths.  If you end up nowhere - stop going forward.  Go back, and look for the other part of the road.  I should've known better; a German tourist told me he got lost once on the track too.  It's hard some times because the brush has overgrown and covered up the path, but it's there somewhere.  Also, I read a blog of an American lawyer who also ran out of water on this track.  It happens easily here.

I met some South African trekkers, and they told me they were going to walk the part I did but decided not too because it was too hot.  Obviously, they were a lot smarter than me.

Anyways, I've decided to stay in this fishing village for a few days.  It was 106 F today.  During that time, I blasted up the air conditioner in my room and just read.  What else could I do?  Go in the wilderness for another walk?

I've decided I will hike to the next village, however.  I can't live my life in fear.  I know better this time.  Anyways, I should get the dunce award for being unprepared or the scout award for making it.  I think the latter.  Unless you've been alone, in the wilderness, without any water, in the blazing sun, and you think you're going to die, I can tell you, it's hard to control the panic and fear and think rationally.  But I did it.  I didn't even freak out during the whole ordeal, though I can say, it was an unpleasant experience to say the least.  I'm back and alive and well and writing to you. 

Lunch With A Bavarian Ghost

In Munich, a Bavarian Ghost named Wagner, asked me to meet it at the town center.  Somebody else delivered the message by email, and said to meet Phantom Wagner, at noon in front of the busy City Hall.

Now, I'm not sure why I wanted to have lunch with a Bavarian ghost - and I think it was a bad ghost indeed.  But I was filled with great curiosity.

Noon came and went.  I was nervous because the ghost didn't show up.  But up, at the top of the clock tower, it was there.  I saw the phantom, and I was filled with fear.  I reached for my new holy rosary, which I tie to one of my belt loops.  But it wasn't there.  (Another tip, some times you should bring holy items random people give you on your journey if you're to face spirits.)

The geist came down and said, "Hello, Paul.  Let's eat at a beirgarden."

I walked with it to a biergarden in the center of the city.

The phantom ordered for me.  It said in German - "White sausage, pretzel, mustard, and a Bavarian pilsner for the American.  For me, just sparkling water."  (White sausage is a traditional Bavarian breakfast and you do eat it with mustard and freshly baked pretzels.)

Take, my advice here.  If a ghost, ever offers you food, don't eat it.  I don't know why I agreed to meet this phantom, but looking back on it, I think it wasn't the wisest idea.

But like Eve, who doomed the human race, I was curious - like really curious.  In German curiosity is neugierig.  Neu means new.  Gierig means greed.  New greed.  Yes, I had a greed, a hungry one, to know about the new.

"Aren't you going to eat?"  I asked.

"I don't eat."

Usually, humans feed the dead, in a ceremony called a libation.  You pour alcohol on the ground.  The Asians call the spirits to eat food.  In this case, it was a reverse libation.  The demon was feeding me.  In any event, the purpose is always the same: to maintain a connection.

The specter wanted to know about my life in Los Angeles, but it said I only had an hour to entertain it.  So, I told the shade about my law firm, a little bit about the corruption I uncovered, and my family.  It listened and listened.

Then the clock tower struck and the hour was up.  The Bavarian shadow said, "I have to leave now.  Will you walk me to my clock tower?"

So, I did.  In front of the clock tower, it said, "When you return to Bavaria, let us do this again?"

I thought, I don't think I'm coming back.  But I couldn't tell it this.

"And one more thing," it said.  The phantom touched my shoulder with its index finger.  I felt heat and energy leave my body, and I felt weaker.  What a thief.  It stole my energy.

There was a smile on the ghost's face.  It was fed.

Then I heard it say: "Ciao!"

In it's place, there were only tourists milling around.