Travel Challenge, Day 15 - Advice to Those Traveling Abroad

***Last day...better late than never, right? I'm glad I finished.***

Day 15 - Advice to someone who is thinking about traveling to another country

I think Deidre of Vai Via Blog really captured the sentiment of any advice I could give you if you're thinking about traveling abroad, which is (like Nike says) "Just Do It!"

I know that there are a lot of constraints perceived and real that deter people from getting out there to see the larger world: lack of vacation time, money, worry about safety, etc., but I want to tell you to do it anyway.

Here is some of the advice I'd give to folks thinking about traveling abroad soon:

1. Be intentional about travel. If you do want to get away, make a plan and figure out a way to get where you want to go. Maybe that means planning for over a year, but at least you have travel on your radar and are focused about incorporating it into your life. As I get older, I realize that the everyday aspects of life can get in the way VERY easily and take priority over travel, i.e., bills, family obligations, etc. I know one of the biggest roadblocks people experience with traveling is money. I love how Catherine from Forty Twenty Four and her husband purposefully incorporate a line item in their budget for travel savings. That's how it's got to be! I know I have not talked about money on this blog yet, but a post is in the making because I do want to address it.

2. Learn a little about the history and culture of the place you're visiting beforehand. You definitely don't need to read Phd. level history books, but it really adds to your experience if you take a little time to even read the history section of the guidebook, Wikipedia or SOMETHING before exploring another country. Understanding the context for what you see and encounter will deepen your experience while there.

Salvador, Brazil

3. It's okay if you don't speak the local language. Wait, you didn't know I spoke Turkish? :) Just kidding. Melinda from Palindrome at Home did ask me this question a few months ago, and I haven't addressed this yet. If you are reading this blog, you either a) are a native speaker of English, or b) have learned English quite well enough to understand my rambling. I want to tell you that you are lucky in many respects. English is widely spoken by many people in the tourism industry all over the world. I've spoken English to Balinese shopkeepers, Turkish cab drivers and Brazilian street kids. Yes, there are some countries where English is not widely spoken, but to be honest that is actually part of the experience of traveling abroad. In those instances, some good basic phrases or some genuine smiles and hand gestures can go a long way. People have been so nice to me when I have addressed them in their language and made an attempt to speak even if I don't sound like a native (or even close).

Bali, Indonesia

4. Safety is important, but don't let it paralyze you. I know that we live in a crazy, scary world sometimes. I'm not staying throw caution to the wind and make a trip to Afghanistan tomorrow, but the evil forces in the world that perpetrate bad things want many of us to live in fear. I refuse to do that, and you shouldn't either. If I thought about terrorism on a regular basis, I would never leave my apartment or use the subway. We need to be vigilant about our safety wherever we live. With this in mind, actually heading out and seeing the world will only help in understanding that the world can be a welcoming place.

Dublin, Ireland

5. It ain't like home. That's the point though, isn't it? The beauty of the modern world even with its computers and cell phones making it a little bit smaller is that people still have customs, lifestyles and foods :) that make where they live unique. The fun part of traveling is to explore those differences.

What advice would you give anyone thinking about traveling abroad?

Touring Turkey - St. John's Basilica

***Before I go any further, I should say that this is St. John the Apostle and not the Baptist. Ya know, just in case you were wondering. :) ***

We had finally left Cappadocia extremely early in the morning, and took a short flight from the city Kayseri in Cappadocia to Izmir (aka ancient Smyrna) with a drive to the small town of Selcuk. Selcuk is about 3 miles from the Ephesus ruins.

One of the main sights to see in Selcuk proper is St. John's Basilica, a church that was built on the believed site of John's grave. Construction was started in 536 by the Emperor Justinian and took almost 20 years to complete. Historians and others think that John lived in Ephesus where he wrote the Gospel of John and possibly the book of Revelation in the Bible (some scholars dispute the latter). John lived to a nice ripe old age and died in Ephesus. Apparently, he may have also taken care of Jesus' mother, Mary, as well while they both lived in the Ephesus area (more on her later).

Walking towards the site, you can already see that it used to be a pretty grand church.

One of the main reasons to even stop here is to see John's grave, and here it is below. A mausoleum was first built over the grave, and then the church built above that.

Grave site

There are still reminders that this used to be a large, expansive indoor space.

If you're curious about what the church actually looked like back then, take a look.

Husband J and I were just pretty happy to see the beauty of this part of western Turkey close to the Mediterranean Sea, which has a much different feel and climate to Cappadocia in the center of the country. Do you notice anything different about all of these pictures? THERE'S SUN!!! We finally saw the sun on our sixth day in Turkey! It felt soooo good.

The Ephesus area is gorgeous!

St. John's Basilica was just a prep for the Ephesus site, which I loved and will write about soon.

Travel Challenge, Day 14 - What I Learned from Traveling Abroad

***Finishing off the the Travel Challenge***

Day 14, What did you learn from traveling abroad?

What have I NOT learned should really be the question.

I've learned to be able to adapt to almost any situation and any group of people I encounter, especially people who are not friendly. I know that's a skill you can learn right at home, but I have encountered some fellow unfriendly travelers. It's actually a little disconcerting. If I may be honest, being a Black woman with an American accent has definitely put me in a position to explode stereotypes with other travelers. On a few occasions I think people have interacted with me based on their own perceptions of what I am supposed to be and think, and I have not enjoyed those times (It's rare, but it happens. People tend to be universally cool. See below). Whatever the situation my tact is to always be pleasant. If I put out positive energy coupled with good old fashioned manners, then I know good will come back to me during my travels.

People care about each other regardless of political divisions. Case in point: I went to Cuba nine days after September 11, 2001 to participate in an academic conference. When meeting Cubans and mentioning that I grew up in New York City, there was such an outpouring of support, kind words and genuine concern. Many of the Cubans I met were sincerely devastated by what had happened. When I mentioned this to a friend when I returned, she was shocked that Cubans would be concerned about how the U.S. was coping with this horrible event. Why not??!! We're all people; and tragedy is tragedy even if our governments and political choices don't agree or align. I've experienced this in other countries too, not just Cuba. Perhaps it's an often pervasive belief in the U.S. that other countries don't like people who live here? I'm not going to be Polly Anna and say that there aren't people who want to hurt others simply for things like national origin (like this guy). If anything, travel has taught me that people's perceptions of the country where I reside is much more complex.

I can figure out just about anything in most situations. There's nothing like getting a little lost or not being able to fully communicate with someone, but you figure it out. I've gained confidence in my ability to find a place to sleep when I didn't have one or figure out a subway/metro system to get me where I need to go. Also I'm pretty good with maps, if I do say so myself. :)

What have your travels taught you?

Food Porn Friday - Zabb Elee

I can't believe that I've never written about a Thai restaurant here on the blog! Huh?! Thai food was the first cuisine that I would eat out with any regularity. It's pretty shocking that I've just gotten to writing about it now.

Zabb Elee in Manhattan is actually the new outpost for this Queens Thai restaurant. This isn't your ordinary Thai restaurant where you'll find Drunken Noodles aka Pad Kee Mao. Zabb Elee actually specializes in food from Thailand's northeast region, Isan. The cuisine is less about stir fries and curries (I think some other diners in the restaurant were a little disappointed not to see any pad thai), and there is no shortage of fiery flavor.

To try a couple of things, I got their lunch special which is a good deal at $9. Even with this deal, most dishes on the regular menu are less than $10 making Zabb Elee a pretty good value.

My lunch special

From left to right: Rice, Larb Kai, Toam Yum Kradook Moo

For the lunch special you pick a "salad", i.e. a cold dish as well as a main. I'd heard that the larb was very good here, so I went with their chicken version.

Larb Kai

Larb Kai is a salad of minced chicken with mint, lime and fish sauce. It's also available in beef and pork versions at Zabb Elee. Larb is actually Laotian and considered its national dish (portions of the northeastern part of Thailand used to be a part of Laos).

I loved this dish. It's light, clean and refreshing for a summer day and balanced between savory, spicy and tart. Zabb Elee has levels of spice from 1 to 5. If you are like me and can take spice, I'd say you'll be fine with level 3 (it makes your lips tingle with spicy goodness. Fun!)

Toam Yum Kradook Moo

Small pieces of spareribs, mushroom, tomato, cabbage, string bean, basil, and fresh chili in a lemongrass broth

While this was a simple brothy soup, I really did enjoy it even if it wasn't the best day for soup (we've hit prime summer here in NYC). The broth is just comforting, and I could see how anyone wouldn't mind a little extra sweating for these soothing yet pungent flavors.

Everything about this meal at Zabb Elee made me feel like I could hit the city streets afterwards and not feel weighed down. I appreciate that.

Zabb Elee (I went to the Manhattan location)

75 Second Avenue (between 4th & 5th Streets)

New York, NY

Travel Challenge, Days 12 & 13

***My internet works again! Yippee!!**

Day 12- Someone who influenced me to travel abroad

*Scratches head** My Mom? I think unwillingly she allowed me to travel places when I was younger that made me fall in love with travel. Allowing me to do a summer abroad in Mexico at almost 16 instilled a love of travel in me. We were talking about this a few weeks ago, and she marveled at how she had the inner strength to do that. My Mom was super strict and a tad (how do you say this?) "overprotective" when I was younger :), yet she saw an opportunity for me to grow. Plus, my summer program was free (I won a scholarship)! You can't deny free and life changing, right? Thanks for letting me go, Mom!

Day 13 - Favorite travel quotation

I like this one:

"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends."

-Maya Angelou (love her!!)

Travel Challenge, Day 11 - A Milestone/"First" Abroad?

Day 11 - Did you have any milestones or "firsts" abroad?

This prompt was hard, too. I can't really think of any other than the whitewater rafting. Maybe it was spending my first Christmas around no family or friends in South Africa? It was weird spending Christmas with virtual strangers, but it was still fun. Also everyone wishes each other "Happy Christmas" (they do this in Antigua, too) and have Christmas lunch and not Christmas dinner. A nice change of pace.

Speaking of holidays....

A Happy Independence Day/ July 4th holiday to my U.S. readers at home and abroad. Enjoy the holiday today wherever you are.

(source)

Travel Challenge, Day 10 - A Favorite Foreign Film

**One of the worst things that can happen to a blogger? Not having internet access at home! Let's hope everything gets resolved soon!**

Day 10 - Favorite foreign film

I think it's "Como Agua Para Chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate)", a film from Mexico, which is based on the book of the same name by Laura Esquivel. It combines some of my favorite things in one movie: romance and food. I love the magical realism of the story and how the heroine, Tita, expresses her emotion through food. Enjoy this clip. I couldn't find this scene in Spanish with English subtitles, so here it is first in Spanish and then English.

English version

I'd be interested in hearing about your favorite foreign film.