I LOVE YOU SABRA MY name is AMIR.I LOVE Sabra. Main Sabra se bohat zayada peyaar karta hon magar os ka brother jo hain na bohat bora hain.Sabra main tum se sare zinda ge peyaar karta rahon ga bus tum muje mil ja o 'I Miss You jan" main rain raat or deen to kat ja tain hain magar main re umar kese katain ge tum hare ben.main tum ko bohat chahta hon.I LOVE YOU.................................................JAN.
Mr 48 hours in Djibouti You make my day! I laugh so hard when I read about your experience in Djibouti that's where I'm from I went back in 2008 I couldn't handle either food or the heat I was away for 20 years living in north America
Turkish frustration and weakness I totally agree with the "bedreddin", he has it correct.
"Turks", (which used to be a derrogatory term pontificated by the Ottoman elites) find themselves rather rejected from European acceptance, which many strongly desire and many cling in desperation to Islam as a refuge and "ironically" dream of an era and the past centuries in which the Ottoman sultans also abused and exploited the average and peasant "Turk". Now-a-days, most find themselves without a successful identity. Funny, how the cling to a fallen empire which crumbled from many of the corrupt and vile sultans (not all of them) by saying that they are likened to strong "Ottoman" Turks (lol) !
"Blacks" from America, the Carribean, South America, Europe and even Africa and which have been "pushed-aside" and ESPECIALLY the often ignored AFRO-TURKS through-out various rural areas of Turkey such as Izmir have a much stronger and realistic identity and self respect although STILL ill-treated. I certainly KNOW from experience being "black" having a home in the US and residence in Turkey for many years.
Please, don;t get it twisted, in general, I do have a deep respect for them very much for humanity sake, but they have a lot to learn!
way we ethiopian can not send mony to other country i am in tanizania my family need to send me mony to me ethiopian bank told them you can not send but u can ressive only.it is big probilem.
i do not have any mony also to eat
Somaliland I spent some time last year in Somaliland as a solo-traveller and found it to be an incredible experience. The people I met were very hospitable. As a Westerner I can say that I never faced any hostility and was made to feel very welcome. I did receive some stares but they weren hateful but more of the fact that I was a tourist. The only issue was taking photos in public - some people were unhappy with a camera being pointed in their direction but I respected their wishes and pointed the camera away even in a general street scene. I dressed appropriately for Somaliland and wore long trousers and long sleeve shirt any time in public. I did enounter one bad look when I was smoking in public - then that was my fault as it was during Ramadan. I apologised for my stupidity and lack of respect. Somaliland was a memorable experience and I would recommend it to any traveller who wants a unique, off the beaten track experience.
Djibouti I have to be the only person in the world that loved Djibouti. It helps the women are the most beautiful I have ever seen, and I've been all around the coast of africa, but it was homey to me. I didn't worry about crime, i had worse incidents in western Africa. I had fun going to Hermes, and Golden Ballast and other bars. It was just too damn hot and too damn expensive for me. How can a Djiboutian survive there.
We are used to it! Somalis are used to white folks coming to their country acting one-way and whenever they leave the show their dislike and biases. One of the first person who came from Europe and into East Africa was Richard F. Burton. Even though while he was white and foreign looking and the times being 1800s he was welcomed by nomads and city folks alike. What did he do when he started writing about his adventure in Somalia. He made the people seem stupid and animalistic. So, the stares you got weren't much about your hair, but more about their forethought "you acting kind now and backbiting ones got home".
11 months in Djibouti My first time leaving the U.S. was to the Horn Of Africa to DJI, eye opening experiance. Arrived via transport at 0 dark thirty hours, wearing a fleece jacket, that was the last time I wore a jacket until I left 11 months later. 100 degrees the highest temp 150. I drove the roads of Djibouti out to many of the villages, saw the Djibouti to Ethiopia expressway from both countries. The train station in DJI city where once a week supplies and people cram awaiting transport to Dire Dawa, Ethiopia. Many refugees, from the surrounding countries. For most part the people of Djibouti welcome outsiders. My interpreter, (informed me the original Planet of the Apes, was filmed in Djibouti). I surprised and amazed him, with how I found my way around the city and the outlying villages, Driving on so called roads, goat trails. Would love to own a high top safari style Land Cruiser, here in the states. As far as the Legionnaires and their shorts (nut crackers) one word DAMN!! You stop your vehicle for two things in Djibouti the Goats running free at chat time and one stop sign (where the gaurds hold AK-47's) On the port of Djibouti, surrounded by blight, poverty hunger filth, there is a Five star Resort, the Kempinski, the only place in Djibouti city I would sit down to eat or use the restroom. If your wondering, I'm a black/native american, with many Djiboutian Husbands. As my Male counterparts say.
"NO MORE" "No More"...This is what I am titling this article. "No more"...stands for frustration on the part of the Turks across the world who are fed up with Greek propoganda and Greek bias. "No more" also stands for the heart and soul of the Turks, who, as a collective whole, have had enough of the BIASED ULTRA ORTHODOX GREEK stance and way of life.
With that said...let me begin.
"No More"
No more talks and conversations about the "Great Greeks". No more talks and rumors about the restoration of the GREAT Church of Hagia Sophia. No more dreams about a unified Eastern Alliance of Christ against the "War Mongering and Barbaric Turks". No more toleration for talks about a Eastern Ultra Orthodox Patriarchy. No more time!! The time that we have mismanaged and wasted toward the development of friendly relations with an ULTRA ORTHODOX CHURCH and ULTRA ORTHODOX NATION STATE which in no rational way wants to coexist as neutral neighbors. No more equal grounds and diplomatic relations. No more care towards the SO CALLED FAIR AND JUST EASTERN SPIRIT OF CHRIST.
As our Christian neighbors believe, time is always on the sides of those who take pride and care in each and every step of life. We Turks have an abundance of time to spare to undo the far too lethargic stance that we have taken on "GREEK" and "EASTERN ORTHODOX" relations. We have taken a relaxed stance on far too many topics. Our needs, our wants, our desires, our passions, and our pride have all been adulterated by our "Diplomatic" Christian counterparts.
Each and every Turk is a direct descendant of Ishmael and the image of God. We breathe his air, drink his water, eat his fruit, and protect his land. Turkiye is his homeland and our pride. Turkiye is his mother and our holy spirit. Turkiye is our blood. Turkiye is our light. Turkiye is our air. Turkiye is our water. Turkiye is our path to nurishment.
Please do not be mistaken! ISLAM IS AND WILL ALWAYS BE THE FATHER OF TURKIYE...and WILL NOT be COMPROMISED. Turkiye is our home and WILL NOT be DESECRATED. To those who are deserving, we will smile, wave, lend a hand, give aid and judge with pain staking care. What we will not do, is allow any friend or foe to enter our space and attempt to corrupt our way of life.
For those who hold claims against our land and space, understand that YOUR NEEDS WILL NOT BE MET. Each and every nanometer of soil in our motherland is protected by the spirit of Ishmael. The God of Ismael is on our side.
You must be wondering what would make a man think such thoughts. The answer is quite clear. Our "GREEK BROTHERS" have overstayed their welcome. They mock Turkiye, Islam and Judaism. They desecrate Ishmael and his children with their prayers for the spread of an unyielding and all encompassing ULTRA ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY. They "PRETEND" to be companions while bickering and planning for the expulsion of TURKIYE and her children to the barren lands of Central Asia. They are evil. They are unjust. They do not represent Christ's love and compassion for all of Abraham's children. With all of its claims to unwarranted lands, unwarranted people, and unwarranted resources I FIND IT SAFE TO SAY THAT ULTRA ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY IS NOTHING SHORT OF MODERN DAY NAZISM. I holds the characteristics of the NAZIS who also place unwarranted claims against OUR JEWISH BRETHREN.
FOR ALL OF THOSE SOULS WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND...PLEASE READ CLEARLY. JUDAISM IS ALIVE IN TURKIYE. ISLAM IS THE FULFILLMENT OF JUDAISM. ISLAM AND THE SPIRIT OF JUDEAH WILL PROTECT TURKIYE FROM THE CORRUPTED AND UNYIELDING EASTERN PATRIARCH. PLEASE KEEP YOUR CLAIMS WHERE THEY BELONG. YOU DO NOT HOLD RIGHTS TO CLAIM TURKIYE'S AIR, WATER, NOR SOIL.
dude I applude you "Houses of Berbera have a distinctly Arab look-and-feel to them, but I get the impression that the locals weren't the ones who built them."
"Berbera (and possibly the whole country) has the feel of being abandoned. As if the original owners just packed up and left, and the newcomers don’t quite know what to do with what they’ve inherited. It’s just a feeling I get when I see the collapsing villas, or the rows of whitewashed houses which like they were originally shops. It’s like a ghost town with people. (After writing this blog, I learned that Berbera was actually an Ottoman town, and the Turks left as the British were arriving around the turn of the century. That explains a lot.) "
"There used to be Jewish communities throughout the region, including in Berbera and Yemen. East Africa has traded with Indians (Hindhus) for hundreds of years. The Ottoman Empire had many Christian subjects and officials in high places"
Dude, thanxs for doing your homework, that place 'Berbera' was for century associated with Yemanite Jews who migrated to either Israel or Yeman. Most, of the exterior, the port city
Dude, thanxs for doing your homework, that place 'Berbera' was for century’s associated with Jewish merchants who migrated to either Israel or Yemen in the 1940’s. Most, of the exterior, the port city’s were cosmopolitan and sophisticated community that were traders of frankincense, myrrh, spices, cinnamon and Berbera was in the middle of it all, it strategically placed near the entrance to the ‘Bab al Mandeb’ or ‘Bridge of Tear’.
At, least you did portray the Horn of Africa and Somaliland with the usual ‘western centric’ mentality, dude next time come by we’ll do some camel wrestler and fishing.
Somaliland favorite son. peace
Interesting Your experience in Somaliland is interessting. I just wonder how much of your relatively/locally not that normal hair played in all of these encounters. Certainly a lot I suppose in the staring, curiosity and suspicions that lead to thorogh questioning. Does your friend feels the same way?
Inspiring Really man, lot of haters on here, but the fact they even took the time to reply, I would say that after reading a lot of your posts, you quite enjoy it and the different opinions. Possibly not so different from the reactions of people as you have moved around. Wherever you go, there are good people and bad people (obviously)
Myself, I am in awe at the diversity of shit you have experienced. Look forward to more writings. Get some old school manual focus camera and take film photos!
Peace
minus273.biz
The only political thing I will say about this is that you cannot demand peace from people before offering them (or in this case, giving them back) decent standards of living. It's a very crucial foundation for peace.
I am half Lebanese, 16 years old, and my dad was there during the civil war and sabra wah shatila massacre. He is a doctor and was a doctor back then working for the red cross, saving lives.
Last week while visiting relatives he took me to see the camp so I "wouldn't forget that these people exist, and the massacre existed." I went, and it was horrible like you said. Just not conditions people should be living in. You can see it in their eyes: each generation thinks they will be the one to escape, but the fact is that they are born there, live and die there. All of them have for 61 years now. And it's sad.
My sister was with me and did take photos, although I agree with you, it was kind of hard to do but we did it anyway because actually, you can find beauty anywhere. The children loved the fact we had a camera (and were delighted to hear us speaking arabic although we both look fairly american at first glance, we are bilingual). They were beautiful to picture and proved the fact that humanity remains under the ruins of politics. Always. No group of people, no matter what, is inherently evil. That's what we all need to remember. The children of all races or ethnic backgrounds help remind me of this...humanity is solid. Besides that, though, we all had a good time. Even in Sabra.
May all people find peace, within themselves and on the outside too.
Hama: Aqueducts introduced to Romans by Persians Your photos are evocative; the posts about 4 years old, so I would suggest if you haven't done it already, to check out who created aqueducts (before the Romans). Romans borrowed them from the Persians.
I don't know if you are a Middle-Eastern guy but sometimes I get really surprised and disillusioned when I realiz information, perceptions and dialogues, about your own neck of the woods not only was probably taught to you by European colonial education, but through laziness you are cut off from your own histories.
Many of us are waiting for your next blog entry Hey, bedreddin!
I read your travel blog from the very beginning till the end. The most fascinating blog in this site, at least for me, being a native Hungarian. My country, Hungary was, is and never will be a Western European country and we are somewhere between Western Europe and definitely determined by the Turkish influence. I am a big traveller myself, having been to more than 56 countries but I have no blogs here. I can very well identify myself with your view of the world.
I am worried about you and you are missed as well.
Please write at least a short entry about your current standing.
By, Rob
you got to be ashamed First and for most i would like to commend the previous writers for their creativity in describing their points and making perfect sense. What took place in Sabra and shatila is a disgrace to lebanon as a whole nation especially the Kataab the cowards who have never shot a single bullet against Israel. First and for most, nothing the palestinians have done justifies what the kataab did. The PLO was a liberation organization. It had supporters who rallied behind them. They were corrupt in so many ways but the have never commited massacres or killed innocent people in such a barbaric way. The PLO's have done many mistakes but nothing compares to what the phalanges did. The palestinians were fighting for a good cause and were dispersed from their land by force unjustly. Lebanon being comprised of many religions and secular, some people rallied for the cause and others did not (Phalanges ... the puppets). Now if part of the country rallied for the palestinian cause they have every right to do so. Bashir the (pig alkhanzeer, just like Jaaja) was given a deal witht the Israeli's to be elected president and he did for few days. He got killed and got what he deserved. Now, for the phalanges in seeking revenge by slaughering helpless women and children and even the elderly tells us a lot about these cowards. It showed the idealistic believes of this militia, it is build in hatred, racism, and agony. It showed that they were not only rebeling for their coward bashir but also they have hatred against all muslims especially the palestinians. History showed their cowardness but you know what god is great and justice was served by the killing of Hbeiqua and Bashir's nephew and more to come. It should not stop until the house gets cleaned from their cowards who have no dignity. Sabra and shatila has showed the extent and how far hatred these cowards have for others. These cowards have more than they deserve as far as power and political roles are concerned. They can not be trusted nor they can be kept un monitered. They never learn their lesson even though their leaders died in humiliation and by the worst ways of death. These same cowards who claim possession of lebanon have done nothing good to lebanon and dragged the country down. I wonder how they rally behind this militia based on false grounds. I always wonder how ignorant their supporters are. In fact, i believe their followers deseve the same kind of punishment and that is death. Because if you look up to such leaders who are corrupt and deceptive, you are as guilty as them. I dispise these followers who were raised on hatred. The pahlanged owe lebanon an apology. As a matter of fact every other party or militia has contributed and fought against the enemy while these animals were hiding and wishing death on their so called lebanese citizens while their lebanese citizens were under brutal attack by the enemy who have been killing innocent people for years.
Going back to the Issue of Lebanon. Yasser Arafat was receiving tons of money. Every Lebanese in the government was getting paid. You can name them. They turned against the PLO when they became helpless. I could understand some frustration from the PLO but at the same time you have to understand why they were created. I am first to admit being a palestinian that they were not angels.. the PLO's have made some mistakes. I know their were minor incidents where they acted bad. But they never commited massacres against anybody. They were their to protect and fight a good cause. The palestinians were kicked out of their lands unjustly. They did not want to be in Lebanon, Syria or Jordan. They did not want their homes and lands taken. The did not want to be slaughtered even before the existance of the zionist state of Israel. In addition, they did not want to be slaughtered by the phalanges in tal-Alzaatar... There were given land by the UN and lived in Refugee camps. The Lebanese government was getted paid for the land leased by the UN. The lebanese government was getting money from the PLO as well. This is so typical of Lebanon. Money Lebanese are your friends as long as they benefit from you. When you run out of money, they turn a blind eye. The economy was prosperous when the PLO's were there. The dollar to the lebanese Lira was 1 to 2. The palestinians contributed to the economy by spending money inside the country. The palestinians despite their miserable situation have become lawyers, engineers, doctors, poets, and scientists. Palestinians have the most PHD's compared to their population. Lebanon gave the palestinians a refuge but that was not by choice nor it was the palestinian choice to lose their lands.
I saw a movie called waltz with bashir i urge everyone to see it to get a clearer picture about what took place.
Last but not least, i solute and thank those who rallied behind the palestinians and sacrificed for lebanon and fought the enemy. For others, get a life, live your pitiful life filled with guilt, shame and hatred. One thing i know for sure is that god is just, he'll always be their to protect the helpless from the hands of those to try to drag the country to hell or try to side with the real enemy..... ISRAEL..
Long live Palestine.....
Proud palestinian.......
fascinating Whilst researching Lebanon and coming across your travels there I have ended up reading almost all your posts. Great stuff. At work now and getting inspired to hit the road.
exactly how ethiopia is I have traveled in Ethiopia also and find your experience was very similar to my own. The presumption that you are there to give money and pens, that you are "charmed" by their pushy demands, the backwardness. Beautiful scenery, but the people... very arrogant and at the same time inefficient and archaic.
question about traveling to Somaliland I have a question about traveling to Somaliland and I was hoping that maybe you could give me your insight on it (or that someone who reads this could) (and yes, I realize this was published years ago, but you know how hard it is to find a good travel guide on the country). Anyway, I'm an American college student interested in traveling to Somaliland, but I was wondering if you could comment as to whether you thought it would be safe to travel alone as an American and as a girl. Thanks.
My trip began (July 19, 2004) as a 14-month leave of absence from my job, with the intention of "seeing the world", and a bunch of unrealistic ideas of what can be accomplished in a year. Turns out a year isn't as long as it seems, so I've recently quit my job (yeay!) to become a full-time traveler. Until, that is, I run out of money or decide I'm ready to rejoin the ratrace.
In the meantime, I'm trying to blog at least once a month from the countries I'm visiting. I'm not interested in Western Europe, so don't expect pictures of Venice here. My blogs are basically my impressions of pla... full info
AMIR MALIK
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I LOVE YOU SABRA
MY name is AMIR.I LOVE Sabra. Main Sabra se bohat zayada peyaar karta hon magar os ka brother jo hain na bohat bora hain.Sabra main tum se sare zinda ge peyaar karta rahon ga bus tum muje mil ja o 'I Miss You jan" main rain raat or deen to kat ja tain hain magar main re umar kese katain ge tum hare ben.main tum ko bohat chahta hon.I LOVE YOU.................................................JAN.