BootsnAll Travel Network



Overland Journey

Honza and I came up with this idea in the Drakensberg Mountains of South Africa in a small cave near the Lesotho border over two years ago. I have no solid plans, just a one way ticket to meet Honza in Prague. Honza and I met during a Volunteer Project we worked on together in Cape Town South Africa. I spent six incredible months traveling through Africa in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. I have also been fortunate enough to travel Europe for two months as well as 3 months in South East Asia.... From Prague, Honza and I will travel through Turkey then Iran followed by the central Asian countries, China then Nepal…. This is an online record of my Overland Journey!

Istanbul

March 27th, 2008

I spent the last week getting lost in the sunny streets of Istanbul. Its very easy to do in the skinny twisting streets that make up this place. I have met a lot of people, shared a lot of stories and seen a lot of history. Istanbul is nice but it is definatley more European than it is Asian. It is not as exotic as I thought it would be. (Bangkok is better) Even so I have had a relaxing time waiting for Honza who will meet me here in the morning. I am laughing at him right now becuse I know he has been on that same train since dinner time last night and will be on it still when I wake up at 8:00 tmorrow morning to go meet him at the station.  

Train to Istanbul

March 27th, 2008

I leaft the Czech republic for a few reasons. I was having trouble sorting out my visas, and it was snowing. When I left Canada to come meet up with Honza and travel, snow was not part of the deal. So I left on the train early, by my self in search of a more mediterranean climate. I climbed on board for the 33 hour train ride from Prague to Istanbul through 5 different countries. Eight hours into the ride while leaving Budapest a Hungarian law student I was talking to asked me Why i did not fly? At that point in time with a full day and one full nights train ride ahead of me i wished that i would have. Looking back on it now I was able to see some great country side and I met some cool people that i would not have otherwise. Including a Bulgarian fellow that chated with me off and on for hours all the while not realizing that I do not understand or speak Bulgarian no matter how slow and clear he speaks it.   

Czech Republic

March 27th, 2008

The night of my arivale in Prague I slept in a dorm room at a local university with Honza and some friends. The Fellows in the dorm where very excited to be host to a foreigner and where incredibly keen to drink and make marry, running around the city all night long sharing with me the favorite spots to hang out and drink. I myself was just off a 17 hour line of connecting flights from Edmonton to Prague and was relectant to do so but fast gave in to the enthusiasm of my new friends. I was soon stumbling around the midevel castle found on the hill top down town. The next day we had breakfast in the university cafateria. in the afternoon we toured the city again with a stop by the Iranian embassy to collect my visa. To my surprise it was not there. That night we headed to Honzas Village out close to the border of Poland. Three hours on a train and we were home in the village of Zamberk. Zamberk just like all the other tiny villages dotted about the country side here, was like a back in time fairy tale village. It even reminded me of the village Belle lived in in Disneys beauty and the beast. My stay there was fabulous and made so by the hospitality shown to me by Honza his family and the rest of the town.  The week was spent visiting honzas relatives enjoying lunches with his grand parents, Hiking through old War bunkers on the border with Honzas grand father. Playing soccer. Hanging around the house and of course going to the pub. Just like bread, beer is a staple here and great tasting pilsners are guzzled down at all hours of the day by almost every one. At home Honzas Mother cooked great meals and took care of me very well. I enjoyed visits with Honzas older brother who studied for a year in America. All in all my week in the Czech Republic was a fantastic experience with only one regret, that is for all the times I enjoyed with the people of the village The only Two people I could speak to where Honza and his brother as no one els spoke english and I regretably can not speak Czech