crazeedavee

On our way out of Bucarest, with seriously achy muscles from the day trip to Brasov, we stopped in Sinaia to get a look at what I consider one of the sickest castles I have seen while browsing them online. Not because it is one of the biggest, but it was just so dang pretty. It sits back 100 meters or so from this old cobblestone path (maybe the original path?) and blows your mind away. Unfortunately, we did not have time to go inside as Sinaia was literally a 2 hr pit ststop/detour and we took the looooong way up (45 minutes at least, and uphill). I felt pretty stupid once we found the 15-20 minute cobblestone path back to the train station but hey, we got good exercise. The town of Sinaia was very ... read more

Before I tell th8s story, I should say that Varna is a beautiful city, with awesome beaches, nice people, warm water, and cheap food/drink. We made a very good friend out of a local, and here is how:After a swealtering (but gorgeous) ride from the capital, Sofia, we found ourselves stopped 10km before Varna. The employees on the train told us we had to get off due to a fire further down the rail line and that a bus was coming to take us to Varna.as im taking photos of the surroundings to remember this small hiccup, the women around us literally gasped in terror, and monica and I turned to see a large propane explosion about a kilometer out . The flame was impressive, and the "boom" made me drop to one knee!With the major ... read more

We could not have landed in a more different place than the Columbia Missouri, Istanbul has exceeded my expectations in its uniqueness. As you will see throughout this blogging, I lack the creative writing skills to illustrate our experiences and will leave the nitty gritty to the photos. However, Iistanbul is old, congested, and any complaint that United States citizens have about the traffic in America have no idea how blessed they are! Dodging traffic has not only been a challenge but a necessity for survival, no joke! But the lamb kebabs and grilled sandwhiches have made crossing the street worth it. Anyone who visits Istanbul must visit Taxim, a northern province in the European side of the country that just. keeps. going. As I write this (at our hostel in Taxim, 2:30 am oour time), ... read more

About to have the craziest experience of my life, Monica and I are chomping at the bit to leave. In 20 days we will be Istanbul-bound from Toronto, and spending 88 days in the European continent to explore and build one hell of a photo album. The number "88" keeps hitting me in the chest and taking my breath away, neither of us have spend so much time away from home, especially in another continent! It's crazy, yet at the same time exhilerating, knowing that in just a couple weeks we are going to be living out of our new 60 liter packs for 3 months. The preparation has been fun, (although I can't say that I feel fully prepared yet). Besides packs we bought some clothes meant to withstand long travel, including a $25 dollar ... read more