Tales of Seven

Arrival in Dakar

Dakar, Senegal

A pre dawn arrival and just a few of us get off the plane here, the rest going on to South  Africa. A rush of warm, humid air with the combined scents of grass and diesel... a search for an ATM then ride into the town center in a dusty, old cab manned by an impossibly tall, lean man.

Only cabs and buses are on the roads, with mini buses so packed that door are left open and people spill off the sides and out the back. People in long flowing robes .. hand carts filled with all types of goods are pushed along the side of the road. Children carried in their mothers backs in a piece of cloth.

We make our way from faster moving highways to twisting, tiny back roads filled with pedestrians and potholes. Shacks made from boards with rusted metal tops offer haircuts, cell phone cards, nuts and bagged juices. People are lit up only by the headlights of the passing cars.

We finally make our way to the hotel and I check in just as the power goes out and roosters start to crow. 

Santacon 2009

A wash of red and white. A swarm over Union Square, down Chestnut Street and through the Mission. Hundreds of Santas appeared out of cars and taxis and from every direction off the streets to join in the fray. The San Francisco Santacon -- a jolly, annual santa-driven pub crawl that is not to be missed!

Caves Don't Have Bathroom Doors

Urgup, Turkey

Like a honeycomb, cave homes were etched out of the hillsides in Urgup long ago, and as nearby Cappadocia grows some have converted into novel cave hotels. During our visit, we ended up staying at the recently opened Melekler Evi cave hotel.

It's a completely unique experience to stay in one of their rooms... The ceilings and walls are entirely made out of a light, soft stone with tens of thousands of etch marks from the first excavation.  Tiny alcoves hold candles that blacken the ceiling above them, and ancient rusted hardware is still driven into the walls. Heavy quilts, wood furniture and and throw rugs help with the fall chill. Just light gauze curtains separate rooms. And there is silence that only thick stone walls can bring. 

Dinner in a tiny dining room in front of a warm fireplace .... a bottle of wine from the hotel's cave wine cellar.... perfect little refuge.

Umut

 
 
 Picture credit Melekler Evi 

Part of This Nutritious Breakfast

-- starting an oral Typhoid vaccine today in prep for travel.  Yum.

 

Best Place to Get Shot in the Arm

Before heading off on any travel, be sure to get immunizations updated. The very best place to go is a dedicated travel clinic where they can input your destinations and recommend shots based on the most current travel requirements, time of year and location.

Be sure to get in about 6 weeks in advance as some shots require a series, and some medications like anti-malarials need to be started in advance of travel.

The best place I've found in San Francisco is The Adult Immunization Clinic, voted Best in the Bay for getting a shot in the arm - professional, fast and thorough. On the menu for me this time? Meningitis, HepA/HepB, Typhoid, Malaria, Yellow Fever.

Immunization Cafeteria

And just so we remember why immunizations are important:

 

 

Senegal and The Gambia

On the spur of the moment, and surfing airline sites for good last minute deals, I just picked up a  late ticket to Senegal.

About size of South Dakota, and with a population of 12 million (nearly all rural), Senegal seems like the perfect destination for a small adventure. It has lengthy stretches of white sand beaches punctuated by small fishing villages, offers beautiful natural scenery in the dunes of the North and tropical forests of the South, and presents the opportunity to visit The Gambia, an exceptionally linear and small country embedded in Senegal's borders.

First priorities are immunizations and visas. From there I plan not to plan - no preset destinations, hotel room bookings or agendas - and just see where the country takes me.

Kiva: Senegal

I continue to be a huge fan of Kiva with a most recent loan going to the Jeg Diam Group from the small west African nation of Senegal. This business approached Kiva to request a loan for purchase of equipment for processing fruits and vegetables and is just one of thousands of businesses Kiva has helped succeed through micro loans. Fantastic idea and fantastic charity.

(Shown below: The Jeg Diam Group)

"Kiva's mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty and is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend to unique entrepreneurs around the globe."
 

Colors of Turkey

 



 

Cistern

Istanbul, Turkey

The air cools by 5-6 degrees as we walk down the stairwell into the dimly lit underground cistern. Unending rows of thick stone columns, flat, motionless black water and the sound of dripping water - eyes adjusting. The occasional drip falling onto a bare arm or camera.

The underground cistern in Istanbul was one of my very favorite spots in the city.

 

       
 
 

Of Roosters and Caves and Old Donkey Carts

Urgup, Turkey

Cobblestone streets and roosters running free. A hillside dotted with caves and half collapsed houses. Grape tressles, abandoned donkey carts, cats prowling for dinner and the sound of bells on wandering sheep.

Urgup is built on a base of ancient history and alive with the metabolism of unspoiled small town - and  a  perfect place to stay while visiting Cappadocia.

-- A few pictures from a beautiful sunset walk below --