I couldn’t remember where I was.

Through the haze of deep sleep, I could hear the footsteps crunching on the cheap vinyl carpet. Somehow, through the fog, I knew those steps were coming for me. The bus lurched. The breaks squealed as they forced the bus to a painful stop. Was I in the right place? Did I somehow turn left instead of turning right? Maybe, perhaps maybe, I had gotten on the wrong bus. The events of the day unfolded quickly in my mind; about 7 hours ago my wife and I boarded a night bus from Cappadocia bound for Pamukkale. I was certain I confirmed with the ticket agent; double and even triple checked the number. No, I didn’t make a mistake.

I struggled to make sense of my surroundings, but the dim cabin lights magnified my displacement. Looking around at the other passengers, mostly locals, I could swear they were consciously avoiding eye contact. I had a feeling, they’ve been down this road before and that wherever we were, it was a place they certainly did not want to be. As I peered out the window, greeted by my own reflection, I could see only darkness. This sure as hell wasn’t the Travertine pools nor was it Denizli.

The Galley Master, looking convincingly like a bus attendant, addressed us in English laden with a thick Turkish accent, “Here, here.” Whipping us into line like sheep to the slaughter, he forcefully ushered us out the now open back door.  There were four of us in total: me, my wife, and two other women. Within moments, before we could realize what was happening, we were standing alongside the bus, watching the driver grab our packs and toss them haphazardly unto the roadside, all while ignoring our silent protestations.

I grabbed the Galley Master’s arm as he turned to walk away, hoping to force a conversation or the very least an explanation. With a surprising deftness, probably honed from previous victims, and in one well-rehearsed movement, he shrugged off my hand, jumped on the already moving bus, turned and said, “Here, wait here.”

“Wait here? There’s nothing here,” I responded to no avail.

As we watched the bus roll away in the darkness the four of us shared a glance. Words were unnecessary at this point, but we knew what we were all thinking, “what the fuck just happened?”

We were in an empty lot, surrounded by trees on all sides. Besides the few crude wooden benches dotting the edges and a couple of randomly placed street lamps, the lot was unremarkable. About 100 feet away, a group of Turkish men stared at us with a mild curiosity. Periodically they would take drags off their cigarettes to remind us of their indifference.

We were in the middle of nowhere.

I’ve been stranded before. Being a seasoned backpacker, this certainly wasn’t my first rodeo. I’ve hitchhiked, I’ve trekked, and I had no reservations about asking help from strangers. But this time it was different.

I could hear the disembodied growls all around us. It happened fast.  Within heartbeats, the shadows came alive with a pack of rabid wild dogs. Like predators sensing weakness, the dogs circled, jostling and pacing for a better attack position. With little effort, I instantly spotted the Alpha; a big muscular hellhound, with glistening yellow teeth, whipping saliva with each bellow. This was no ordinary run in with strays. Instantly we went on the defense. The women formed a tight defensive circle, stepping as high on the benches as was possible; I grabbed my bag, holding it in front of me as a shield. The pack continued to circle, brandishing their teeth, howling intermittently as though calling for action. I bluff charged, I yelled, but this only served to aggravate them more. We braced ourselves, as the attack seemed imminent.

Suddenly, we could hear loud whistling, followed by even louder yelling. From behind us, the three Turkish men dropped their indifference and charged, attacking with rocks and cigarette butts. The dogs attempted to mount an offensive. But in the face of greater aggression, the pack scattered running back into the shadows from whence they came. Clearly, these men have dealt with their kind before.

Perhaps we were meant to wait for another bus, or perhaps we really were left stranded. Looking back, it no longer really mattered. What was expected to be an uneventful bus trip from Cappadocia to Pamukkale became one of our fondest memories. In the end, the three men not only pulled us from the fire, but also helped us arrange a ride to take us the final few hours to Pamukkale. For my wife and I, this was the reason we traveled. In the place we least expected, we were given a peek behind the curtains and experienced the genuine kindness and generosity of the Turkish People.

If this was nowhere, I’ll take that over somewhere any day.

The post The Road to Nowhere – Cappadocia to Pamukkale appeared first on Blaze Your Adventure.

Another reason I love London, amongst the many mentioned in I ♥ London, is that it is just a step, hop, and a jump away from some historic sites. One item on my bucket list was to visit Stonehenge. From London there are a couple of tours that you can take and trying to fit in as much as possible in a short period of time, I opted for the all day Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and Bath tour.

The most anticipated part of the tour for me was Stonehenge, but we spent the least amount of time there so it was a bit of a killjoy. On top of that, as soon as we got to Stonehenge it started to rain and all we had time for was a quick loop around the Stone Circle and some quick photos to document the trip before racing back to the bus to keep from getting completely drenched. I know that rain is quite common in England, especially during the month of October, but it was sunny in the morning and we were hopeful that the sunshine would continue. It was funny because Mike specifically said to me, “I really hope it doesn’t rain when we get to Stonehenge because that would really suck”, low and behold it rained the moment we got to Stonehenge. LOL. I guess we were lucky to even be able to walk around the entire circle because when the weather is wet they usually close off the grassy section.

Having read a lot about Stone Circles, I was really excited to see the stones but the experience was “meh” for me. Obviously, it had more to do with the weather and the tour’s scheduled time allotment for Stonehenge than the historic site itself. I mean the stones are magnificent and I can appreciate why it’s a World Heritage Site, but it’s not just about the physical site and the scenery. The story behind how the stones were moved and the placement of the stones around the circle is just as important to me. This is definitely a do-over trip for me.

The next time I visit Stonehenge, here’s what I would do differently:

1)  Give myself more time: I think my biggest mistake was trying to do too much in one day and for some reason Stonehenge got the short end of the stick and we were only able to get a cursory visit. With some places that is fine, but I wanted to learn a lot more about the mysterious monoliths than the 15 minute summary we got on the tour bus.

Next time, I would rather rent a car and drive to Stonehenge myself. Sure there are other “go directly to Stonehenge” tours that you can take but the problem is someone else has predetermined how much time you can spend at the Stone Circles and that is something I don’t want to repeat again. There is something to be said about not being handcuffed to someone else’s schedule and having the freedom to explore on your own. There is more to explore than just the Stone Circles and really depending on your thirst for information, it seems that the Visitor Centre is worth visiting. You can also get an audio tour (which I had no idea existed) that can provide information that allows you to appreciate Stonehenge that much more. To be honest, the audio tour wouldn’t have been practical for us because of the time restriction, but it is a good thing to know for next time.

Also, visiting Stonehenge on my own will give me the time I need to just take in the moment and enjoy the beauty.

2)  Bring a tri-pod: it was extremely hard to capture nice pictures without having a bunch of people in the shot, so I recommend bringing a tripod to take a bunch of pictures and then piecing them together (refer to our Travel Hack #3).

3)  Bring an umbrella (this will protect you from the rain or sun) and proper footwear, so that you are protected from the weather and can enjoy the beauty of Stonehenge whether it rains or is extremely hot.

Since I didn’t really get my Stonehenge fix, I guess I will just have to go back for a proper visit!

The post My Visit To Stonehenge appeared first on Blaze Your Adventure.

The first time I went to Europe I did it solo style with a big yellow backpack in hand.   This was your typical “backpack throughout Europe and get my fun in before I start my real grown up job” type of trip. I realized, that, out of all the cities I visited (the list included Paris, Cannes, Monaco, Nice, Amsterdam, Barcelona and Rome), I love London the most. Looking back it was hard to explain why: I was staying in a hostel room with twelve other people, the room was infested with mice, when I woke up from a nap on my first day in London I had my own Friends’ version of ugly naked guy stripping in front of me (not what I expected to see upon opening my eyes), the value of the Canadian dollar was zilch compared to the British pound and everything cost twice as much so I really had to stick to my daily budget, and the food was meh. Despite all this, I love London! The experiences I had and the people I met made London one of my all time favorite cities.

Given my soft spot for London, it was no surprise that London was my destination pick for our European trip. Mike wasn’t too excited since he is more of a Dubliner and always saw London as a transit hub and a “stop over” to where travelers really want to go. Determined to change his mind, I wanted to give Mike a different perspective of London.

Here are ten reasons why I love London:

1) Shopping: there are so many amazing stores to visit in London, from historical department stores such as Harrods and iconic fashion houses like Burberry to more recent fashion brands such as Reiss. Yes, Princess Catherine gets a lot of her dresses from Reiss and the white Nanette dress was instantly sold out after Kate Middleton, as she then was, wore it in her engagement photos. Being a fan of Princess Catherine’s fashion style (um . . . really who isn’t?), it was a must do on my list to stop at the Reiss store in Knightsbridge (I was told this was the location she frequented most, but unfortunately I didn’t see her). Having bought more than my fair share of Reiss dresses, I got extra attention from the salesgirl and she gave me her personal email address and told me to send her an email if there were any other dresses I wanted and she would be more than happy to ship them to me. She even found the Nanette dress for me, but given that it was two sizes too big I decided it was not worth paying a small fortunate for the dress only to have to pay and get it refitted.

There are a lot of streets in London, such as Oxford Street, Bond Street, Regent Street, and Carnaby Street that are lined with stores and unique boutiques where you can find something for anyone. For men who want a nice (and expensive) custom suit, go to Savile Row.

For all you shopaholics who are looking for a good deal head to Bicester Village, which is a designer shopping outlet about 45 minutes from London. The best way to get there is by bus, but just keep in mind that it is an all day venture as you only get picked up and dropped off at certain times. Also, make sure to check out the website because they sometimes post deals and you can always find VIP discount vouchers on the Internet.

2) Sites: there is no shortage of things to see in London and there is something for everyone:

• If you are a museum buff head to the British Museum or Natural History Museum. There really is no shortage of museums in London and you can probably spend a full week going to all the museums.

Museum of Natural History

Victoria and Albert Museum

• If you prefer to get your fix of Royalty head to Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace or even the Tower of London.

The Victoria Memorial, which sits in front of Buckingham Palace.

• If you prefer to focus on the arts then the Tate Modern and National Gallery are necessary stops.

Exhibit at the Tate Modern.

• If you are more interested in seeing the politicians then head over to the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben.

• For those who want to pay homage to religious aspects or even attend a worship service, go to Westminster Abbey or St. Paul’s Cathedral.
• Go to the London Eye to get a different perspective of the city and a great view of the skyline.

• If you want some time to rest and relax find a spot in Hyde Park or St. James Park.

View in St. James Park.

You will never get bored in London. I promise you that!

3) Theatre: I like to see live theatre and there are so many great shows playing in London. Popular shows such as Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, the Lion King, and Wicked are usually always playing. Depending on when you go, you can even catch shows that are hard to find such as Miss Saigon.

Having watched some of the shows in London and then seeing them again in Canada, I have to say there really is no comparison. I don’t know if it is due to the location, the actors, or the fact that shows in London are performed in theatre houses with better acoustics but . . . when in London go see a show!

It is probably best to get your theatre tickets ahead of time, especially for the more popular shows that sell out every night, but if you are unable to pre-book there are many different ways to get last minute discounted tickets, such as the tkts booth in Leicester Square. Remember to check out the face value of the ticket and the seating plan to make sure you get a good view.

4) History: London is a city that has more than 2,000 years of history. There are catastrophic events that have made it into London’s history books, such as the plague, the Blitz during World War II, and the Great Fire of London, all of which have shaped the city into what it is today and makes it that much more interesting for tourists.

View from the Millennium Bridge, a good way to reflect on London today.

London is also where gentlemen’s clubs, such as Brooks’ and White’s, were originally created and made popular. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t support establishments that don’t accept women, but I do find the purpose and membership of these places intriguing.

The architecture in London is fascinating and it is not uncommon to see buildings that are over a hundred years old. In Canada, such buildings are rare and would get special status as a “historical building”. I couldn’t help but wonder about the piece of history each building holds and the secrets that are hidden in the walls. I guess that is a normal feeling when you are walking through the streets of a city that was once the epicenter of the world.

5) Energy and Vibe: with a population of more than 8 million and millions more visiting each year, London has a unique energy that is difficult to explain. Commerce, education, the arts, fashion, and music – all elements that make London a global centre also contribute to the city’s liveliness. From Piccadilly Circus to Knotting Hill (made famous by Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant) to South Kensington, each neighborhood is distinct and has something unique to offer. Even cloudy skies and the constant rainy drizzle can’t dampen the pulsing London life and the feeling that runs through you.

The buzz during the night in Knightsbridge.

South Kensington.

6) The Royals: the chances of me meeting Prince Harry, Princess Catherine, and Prince William (preferably in that order) are that much greater in London than anywhere else. In no way would I balk at the idea of meeting the Queen, but the younger Royals are who I prefer to rub elbows with J.

7) Accents: I love the British accent and I honestly think that anyone who has a British accent sounds that much smarter, even though I sometimes have no idea what they are saying because the accent can be quite thick. Some of the words and phrases they use, such as rubbish, jumper, crikey, knackered, “taking the piss”, and dodgy, are quite fun and always puts a smile on my face when I hear them.

8) Pub Grub: I know the English aren’t known for their culinary cuisine, but the food has changed immensely since my first visit to London and the Indian and Thai cuisine are just as good as anywhere else.  I had a chance to try some ramen and it was delish!

Enjoying some ramen at Shoryu Ramen.

If you prefer something more traditional, the pub grub is spectacular in London. My go to is the fish and chips because who doesn’t like deep fried battered fish with fries on the side?

9) People: Despite the fact that most Londoners avoid eye contact while riding the Tube and make no effort to converse with you, but really who wants to strike up a conversation with a stranger while packed in a train like sardines were personal space is non-existent and you are close enough to get the weather and not the news, I have always found Londoners to be friendly and helpful. Every time I needed directions or suggestions on where to eat, the people I asked were friendly and provided helpful tips. Also, I found that Londoners were always more than willing to take a couple of seconds out of their busy day to snap a photo for an eager tourist (yes, like myself).

10) The Tube: the Underground, known as the Tube to Londoners, makes it extremely easy to get around London. With 11 lines (Bakerloo, Central, Circle, District, Hammersmith & City, Jubilee, Metropolitan, Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria, and Waterloo & City) and 270 stations, the system is overwhelming at first but all you really need is some patience and a Tube map. After your first trip you will realize how easy and safe it is to take the Tube and there will be no hesitation. It is also the fastest and most affordable way to travel around the city. Not to mention, you get to see many different personalities and tourists at Tube Stations and on the Tube itself. This isn’t always a good thing though, especially during peak hours when the crowds are big and people are impatient but it just adds to the experience.

Tube stations are everywhere in London, making travel easy.

If the Tube is not your thing, you can always take the bus (there are many of those too), hop in a cab (the black cabs are iconic but quite expensive), ride a bike (the Barclays Cycle Hire make it cheap and convenient to rent a bike), or walk – our preferred and favorite way to see a city.

I think I accomplished my goal and was able to get Mike to see and appreciate a different side of London. Although I still don’t think this is a city he would choose to visit on his own but . . . baby steps my friends, baby steps.

And that’s why I love London!

The post I ♥ LONDON, ENGLAND appeared first on Blaze Your Adventure.