[Nearly] Three Weeks In

I'm currently sitting in the reception area of a hostel in downtown Rome, minutes from the main Termini station. Since all I really have on the agenda today is to make it to Florence by mid-afternoon (as opposed to my last couple weeks of what feels like non-stop activities crammed into each and every day), I figured this was a good time to write a quick update on my solo traveling adventures. Here goes!


Week 1: Jerusalem, Mitzpe Ramon (Israel)

I left my volunteer position at the Fauzi at the beginning of April- literally April 1. I, accompanied by my volunteer bestie Jake who had a few days off, headed to Jerusalem to base ourselves there for a couple of days. While there I finally got around to doing all the major touristy stuff, haha: hiked the snake path up to the ruins of Masada, swam (floated?) in the Dead Sea, and hiked through the natural oasis of Ein Gedi. I had fun, but mainly enjoyed being able to check them off my Israel to do list... they'd sort of been hanging over my head. <- And that may sound really flippant, but I think I've slightly overloaded on gorgeous treks and ancient Roman/Ottoman/Byzantine ruins. There happen to be a ton all over Israel. So while they were still nice to visit, I wasn't as wowed as a first-timer would've been, I'm sure.

Jake left me to return to Nazareth on Wednesday, and so Thursday morning I set out to my first real location where I didn't know anyone: Mitzpe Ramon, a town situated in the middle of the Negev desert. The draw of Mitzpe is that it happens to be right next to this huge crater-like thing (but it's not a crater!) called a makhtesh. Only seven makhtesh exist in the world; five in Israel and two in Jordan. I'm not exactly sure on the actual differences between a makhtesh and crater... but makhtesh aren't formed by meteors or eruptions or anything- it's all about the natural shifts of the earth that happen in a particular sequence. Anyway, I LOVED it there- stayed for three nights. I did a few different desert hikes that were just amazing, got some sun, and did I mention that the Green Backpackers hostel was incredible? Great vibe, intimate, run by accredited tour guides, and attracted the coolest people (other guests and volunteers). We had a communal dinner, movie night, poker game (which I won!), and lots of interesting conversations. I felt extremely comfortable there and was sad to leave. But I didn't stay as I had other places I really wanted to visit, too.

Week 2: Petra (Jordan), Eilat, Mishmar Haemek, Nazareth (Israel)

I managed to pick up a travel buddy in Mitzpe Ramon- this cool Argentinian named Jose who happened to be a hostel volunteer at Green Backpackers, but used his free days to travel south with me to the beaches of Eilat. We missed our bus... but it turned out for the best as we hitch hiked and arrived at the resort town earlier and for free. We spent two days just picking out beaches to hit up, playing guitar, speaking Spanish (attempting to, on my part...), snorkeling (so good there! An amazing variety of vibrant fish), and chilling on the hostel patio at night. I had a great time, and parting was bittersweet. I hope we meet up again someday.

After Eilat I joined an old person tour to the ancient Nabitian city of Petra, located about two hours over the border in Jordan. I spent two days wandering around one of the eight wonders of the ancient world, and it was an incredible, impressive sight to behold. The city was just so picturesque- and extensive! Right when you thought you'd reached the outskirts, another little path was leading you up a million stairs to some other monastery.... I spent two days there and still didn't get to see everything. A definite highlight from Petra was also getting to stay in a real hotel (part of the tour package). A non-bunk bed. My own bathroom. A full-length mirror. I was in heaven. Took full advantage of my privacy and just stripped and flung myself on the bed. It felt soooo good. <- by far the nicest place I have stayed and will stay while traveling alone.

Once I was let back into Israel (there was a bit of border iffiness, but they finally let me through), I took a series of busses over the course of eight hours to get to my friend Jess's kibbutz in the north- about one hour from Nazareth. I'd been there once before for a day, so arriving again felt a bit like coming home... or at least to a relievingly familiar place with familiar people. It was so much fun hanging out on the kibbutz for a night with Jess and her friends again. They're always a fun group to see :)

On Friday I bid farewell to the kibbutzers and headed off with Jess to Nazareth (she wanted to come back for a few hours to say hi). We arrived at the Fauzi, and that definitely felt like coming home: we knew the town, the people, and it all felt so normal. Though I have to say, returning to a place you already left always feels a bit weird. Like you're coming into another dimension's version of that area, sci-fi- everything's the same, but different, too.... Regardless, it was really nice having a place to stay, eat, and do laundry for free before leaving Israel- the next day I'd be setting off for only unfamiliar locales where I have 0 connections. Which was simultaneously freaky and exhilarating.

Goodbyes while traveling are always hard, and even more-so when it's with people you've gotten to know really well. Saying goodbye to Jess was difficult- she was my best friend in Nazareth for almost a month, and we really bonded. Our goodbye was more of a see-you-later. I sincerely hope we meet again. Plus, I'll have gotten her some cool present by that point as a thanks for her incredibly touching gift of a hamza necklace (which I haven't taken off since I got it). Love and miss you Jess! I also had to say bye to Jake, but we can meet up in the States, so. And the last person I said goodbye to was Hagai, an amazing night receptionist, even if he hates people ;) He saw me to the train station, and from there I was on my way to fly to Europe!

Week 3: Athens (Greece), Rome (Italy)
And then I got to continental Europe! My first day in Athens was more of a catch-up-on-sleep day, as I'd been ridiculously interrogated by israeli security throughout the early morning hours for whatever reason. When I finally felt like getting out, I was immediately overwhelmed by a feeling of loneliness. Here's an excerpt from an email I sent my parents that first day:
"So much of a good time traveling is about meeting others. No way in hell am I going to spend 6 weeks walking around and doing everything alone. Maybe I'm not ready to be an independent backpacker. Maybe we all overestimated my abilities to get out there, be social, be alone, and SURVIVE. Or at least enjoy it.

Clearly I'm still not feeling very positive. I had a good thing going in Israel. I had friends, a community, knowledge of the transportation system and what to do in each location I visited. Out here I have nil. And a major dip in self-confidence.

Part of me wants to end this now and just come home.

I'm too afraid to hack it solo in this big world."

...So I was being a bit dramatic. But looking past the woe-is-me stuff, I actually was feeling like I'd made a huge mistake. And then literally as I was sitting in the hostel, about to write another depressed email, my knight in shining armor [hi MJ!] sits down next to me and strikes up a conversation. And from there my time in Athens was bomb :)

I found myself a part of an awesome crew of two other 18-year-old girl solo travelers (!), and this Canadian dude. We had dinners together, roamed Athens at night, went off to a lake, and just had each other's backs. It was great, and though we were only together two days, it was extremely sad parting from them. But I think we met because forces in the universe wanted to give all of us young, independent girls a confidence boost: you are badass, check out these other chicks who are just as amazing as you are! Oh, and Athens itself? A really cool city. All monuments are located in one spot, the city feels extremely safe, and walking around was fun. A great intro to Europe.

And last but not least, Rome! This incredible city I've heard so much about. And boy does it live up to expectations. I literally spent two full days (at least eight hours) wandering the streets of Rome. Part of that may have to do with my lack of map-reading skills as opposed to how far everything is, but hey, it's a great way to see more of a city than you were originally planning, yeah? There are not only important historic sites every street you turn down, but some of the neighborhoods are adorable, there is so much greenery, and the street fashions make people-watching super cool.

The only bummer with Rome is the people. Not the Italians or anything- my personal people. The people I'm bonding with and exploring all the nooks and crannies of Rome with. The people who don't exist. [Don't get me wrong- I've met people, and even went out to get authentic Italian pasta with someone, but I have no CREW. Which is what I want and what I'm missing.]

So I'm off to Florence today. You could spend months in Rome and still not know it all, but after two days I've hit all the major sites, and think I know what the city's about. I'll come back, maybe. But for now I'm moving on.

Let's go, baby.

xoxo, Cleome

Highlights, High Fives, and High Hopes

Alright, because I've been so lame about posting on the blog for the past month (or two...), I'm going to hit you with a long-yet-relatively-undescriptive list of Cleome's Favorite Things while having been a volunteer at the Fauzi Azar Inn.

Which I figured I should do before I set off on my true backpacking adventure on Sunday (!)


Cleome's Favorite Israeli [fill-in-the-blank]:

 Ruins~
•Caesarea- Huge city complex from Caesar's era.
•Megiddo- Where "Armageddon" is supposed to take place.
•Arbel Castle- Crusader castle carved out of the cliffs.  A real-life Treasure Island playground.
•Heridion- Kind Herod's castle on (and under) a hill.

Museums~
•Yad Vashem- Holocaust museum.  Surprisingly not as depressing as I'd been expecting.
•Israel Museum- Lots of exhibits and art about/from Israel (duh).

People~
•Guests
- ones I learned from
- ones with crazy adventures
- ones I connected with and were fun to talk to
- ones that became possible contacts throughout the world
• My Israeli family I'd seen only once before (and definitely didn't remember).  So cool to have relatives in other countries!
• Locals.  Extremely hospitable and interested in showing off their culture.  Extremely friendly, for the most part.
• Other volunteers/staff members.  Of course.  Who I worked with and chilled with.  They're the ones with the most impact on making this experience what it was.  Shout out to Jess, Pat, Mike, Jake, Hagai, Elisa, Linda, Yafit, Marwa, Norhan, Maoz, Suraida, Gangaanai, and James.

Hikes and Nature~
•Yehudea- Golan Heights nature reserve with amazing natural pools and views.
•Arbel Cliffs- Crusader castles.
•Jesus trail- Varied landscapes on a fairly easy (but long) hike.
•walk from kibbutz to Nazareth- a six hour/30 kilometer walk I'm very proud of having accomplished completely on my own due to the lack of public transportation on Saturdays.  And I still made it back in time for my shift.  Booyah!

Events~
•going out (Patra, tel aviv, Jerusalem)- always fun
•visiting Jess- I stayed at her Kibbutz for a day and had a blast seeing her again :)
•peanut butter find- yes, I am including inheriting two jars of peanut butter left by guests as one of my favorite events. Stereotypical American, what can I say?
•learning Arabic- sort of...
•guitar playing at the Fauzi- I have been practicing, Dad.


Extended Trips~
•Jerusalem- Breaking the Silence tour of the South Hebron Hills, seeing Israeli family, free official pub crawl, stalking Obama, visiting museums, walking around, seeing Bethlehem & Banksy originals
•Tel Aviv- meeting cool people, getting a taste of the nightlife, visiting the old port city of Jaffa

First Times~
•smoking hookah/nargila- didn't really like it, but was definitely entranced by the smoke rings others could make.
•official pub crawl- at 18.  In Jerusalem.  Totally free.  Yeah.
•hitch-hiking alone- during daylight and picked up by a girl.  Stop freaking out Mom.
•visiting west bank- my second week I went to the town of Jenin with Jess.  It really stuck with me as I honestly hadn't even imagined I'd feel safe enough to go to the West Bank.  Clearly perspectives change when you actually arrive in a place you'd heard nothing but negative things about before... 
•staying on a kibbutz- yeah, I really liked the night I spent on the kibbutz with Jess.  Do I think I could live on one (or even volunteer there for a couple months)?  Probably not.  But for a short visit it was incredibly fun to experience a different way of life.


And those are just the highlights I could come up with off the top of my head.  I've had an amazing time being based in Nazareth, and am conflicted about leaving in a handful of days.  On one hand, I've grown comfortable here and have a community, friends, and bed to sleep in that I can call my own.  Alternatively, I think my life here is now too familiar.  I more or less have a daily routine, talk to the same people (mainly), and have lost the motivation to explore/go on day trips [though being sick the last week may have contributed to that also...].  Anyway, I think it's a good time to be moving on.  I'm not yet sick of the place, but I am getting there.  Some days have been almost boring, and at times I've wanted to punch a few people in the face I was so annoyed by them... so it's probably best I'm on my way soon ;)

Being a hostel volunteer at the Fauzi has been by far my favorite volunteer experience I've had on my year abroad- I've met some incredible people and had some unparalleled experiences.  I can't imagine having chosen anything more fun or beneficial, and I know what I've learned here will help ease me into traveling on my own [regardless of how terrifying that still seems].

I thank the Fauzi, Nazareth, and all the incredible friends I've made for a great two months volunteering.  

And here's to a fucking awesome final two months of my walkabout- bring on the backpacking!

xoxo, Cleome

Nicaragua

So I went to Nicaragua for 10 days... alone....  And it was awesome.

I'd been thinking about what to do after my volunteer program ended the last week of November, and after much debating decided going to Nicaragua would be
1) fun
2) a chance to see a new country, and
3) not completely terrifying as I'd met a girl who was working in Granada, and so at least had one person I knew who I could go up and hang with for a bit.

While I'd been traveling nearly every weekend before my Nicaragua trip, the thought of backpacking solo still scared me up until the point that I crossed the border between countries.  There's just something a little more ominous sounding about "backpacking in a different country completely alone for the first time" than "traveling for the weekend with my bestie Lindsay."  At least for me there was.

But I shouldn't have worried.  I survived for 10 days and made it back to Costa Rica in time to meet my family at the airport- and managed to have fun while doing so.

Nica Adventure, Cliff Notes Version

Saturday, December 1
-Left at 5:45am for San Jose.  Was informed the direct buses to Granada weren't available until Monday.  Decided to bus-hop instead.  Met American named Sherry at the border who was also going to Granada.  Had a tiff with officer in border control window- he "forgot" to stamp my passport.  Was denied entrance to country by immigration official and had to return to office for another stamp.  Finally boarded bus with Sherry to Granada.  Arrived and split off from Sherry to go to hostel where my friend Nonny was working.  Set stuff down.  Went out with Nonny and friends for dinner/clubbing.  Slept at Nonny's friend's house (without Nonny- looonnggg story...).  Great first night in Nicaragua.
Sunday, December 2
-Recovered.  Explored Granada a bit.  Ate typical Nicaraguan "frito."  Slept early.
Monday, December 3
-Accompanied Nonny to her volunteering project.  Played with kids.  Sang the Beatles.  Went out for drinks.  Packed.
Tuesday, December 4
-Said bye to Nonny and left Granada.  Ventured to Isla Ometepe [large island home to two enormous volcanos] by chicken bus and ferry.  Felt very alone.  Set up volcano hike with guide and a French-Canadian guy named Julian.  Tried to sleep in a hammock while listening to a man in the Russian Mafia talk about drugs.  Restless night.
Wednesday, December 5
-Woke up at 4am for 5am tour.  Ate a pb&banana sammich.  Completed an 8-hour volcano hike [5,250 feet up, active volcano, extremely windy].  Felt accomplished and exhausted.  Showered and slept.
Thursday, December 6
-Left island for the beaches of San Juan del Sur with my bodyguard, a 29-year old Brit named Romy.  Super cool guy.  Arrived at crazy hostel in every sense: renovated mansion= crazy luxurious, up on a hill= crazy gorgeous views, party hostel reputation= mentally crazy people.  Yikes.
Friday, December 7
-Beach day with Romy!  First hitchhiking experience and I was immediately obsessed.  Gorgeous water, beautiful day, amazing beach.  Located delicious, cheap tacos.  Went to major gringo beach party.
Saturday, December 8
-Switched from hostel to dirty, sketch hotel.  Switched from hotel to other hostel in town.  Breathed a sigh of relief.  Met new friends (Max, Simone, Astrid, drunk naked Australian dude, etc.) and walked to the Jesus statue on the hill for sunset.  Most delicious shot EVER: rum in a passion fruit half with sugar on the side [thanks Romy!].  Party hopped, night swam in ocean, watched Beerfest [<- pretty funny], didn't sleep much.  Fun night.
Sunday, December 9
-Early morning run, another beach day with Romy and Max.  More hitchhiking.  Sunday BBQ at hostel.  Packed and early night.
Monday, December 10
-Left for the border on chicken buses with Romy.  Border crossing and parting from Romy.  Sad.  Sat in a bus aisle for four hours to San Jose.  Made it back to Atenas after dinner.

A great trip.


Nica vs Costa
A surprising amount of animosity exists between Costa Ricans and Nicaraguans- mostly coming from the Ticos.  I think this mainly has to do with how many Nicas try to enter Costa Rica illegally, but any time something bad happens in Costa Rica it's blamed on the Nicas residing with the country, so maybe their negativity is justified....   Yet despite all the teasing I received from my Tico friends about wanting to visit Nicaragua, I have to say I was quite impressed by the country and in many ways it gives Costa Rica a run for its money.

Major Differences I Observed:

• Accent- Nicaraguans speak Spanish slightly differently, leaving me saying "que" a lot more than in Costa Rica.  I just wasn't used to it at first.
• Buses- Nicaraguan buses suck, frankly, compared to those of Costa Rica.  They're converted school buses instead of greyhounds, which pretty much makes all the difference.  Nica "chicken buses" have seats that are smaller, less comfortable, and much more cramped [one of the better times to be short: leg room!].  Also, there either tend to be less seats on Nica buses or just tons more people- every bus I rode was invariably packed to the brim with people.  So much so that if you sat next to the aisle, you couldn't escape having one of the standing persons' asses in your face.  'Twas lovely.  Also, Nica buses picked up food vendors literally every five feet, meaning there was always someone attempting to entice you into buying something.  That happens on Tico buses as well, but only at designated rest stops.  [Okay, to be fair some of these differences make Nica buses more fun and entertaining, but if you're existing on three hours of sleep and just trying to get home, they make the ride seem a lot longer....]
• Animals- farm animals roamed a lot more freely in Nicaragua than I've really ever seen in Costa Rica.  Buses would have to weave between herds of cows, horses were ties to almost every fence post, and spotting a pig rooting in the bushes by the side of the road was not uncommon.  I liked that.
• Cost- without a doubt, Nicaragua is so much easier on the wallet if you're trying to travel on a budget.  Hostels, food, drinks, transport- all was MUCH cheaper than in Costa Rica.  Bananas were literally $.04 <- you can bet I ate a lot of those.  And there were some $.25 tacos in San Juan del Sur that were to die for.  Yummmmm.
• Tourists- compared to the most visited areas of Costa Rica, the touristy parts of Nicaragua are still pretty devoid of foreigners.  Of course it's not like I was the only gringo in the places I went, but the locals were much more prominent, as was their culture.  Costa Rica's popularity and relative prosperity has definitely westernized the Ticos' way of life.
• Places to Go- while there are certainly some amazing places to hit in Nicaragua, there appear to be less locations than in Costa Rica.  I was only in Nicaragua for 10 days and saw only three different areas of the country, but I pretty much hit all the "worth seeing" places besides one or two.  In Costa Rica there are many more spots to go visit that offer significantly different environments, wildlife, and experiences from each other.  I traveled to seven different location in Costa Rica over two months and still have a sizable list of areas I'd love to go check out.

Overall, both countries are amazing, of course.  But for a shorter trip or one done on a more limited budget or one in which you're trying to get a taste of a significantly different culture from the US, then I'd recommend Nicaragua over Costa Rica.  Costa Rica has some of the most gorgeous natural landscapes in the hemisphere, but the country is more expensive and definitely more Americanized.  I'm certainly not upset about having been based in Costa Rica- I'm just saying that were my traveling situation different (i.e. not volunteering and solely backpacking), I'd probably have spent more time in Nicaragua than Costa Rica.  But since I had the luxury of being based in Costa Rica and getting to explore the beautiful country, I'm extremely grateful.

I can't wait to get on the road again.

xoxo, Cleome

Weekend #7: Nada

This was the first real weekend [November 23, 24, 25] I stayed in town. 

Lindsay left on Saturday morning.  It was triste.  She cried.  I cried. 

And that's all I have to say about that.

xoxo, Cleome