August 6

Hi.

I guess my last email didn't get through. We must start a "Bring Vinny" campaign to this part of the world. My final day in Timsoara, my hosts took me to Arad, a city along the Hungarian border. Once again, my host had never visited the city and it is only 25 miles away. What a beautiful city. I could have been in a smaller version of Vienna or Budapest.  It was sad leaving on the train the next day to return to Bucharest but I am grateful for the opportunity to have spent 3 days living with a Romanian couple. I am sure that we will continue to keep in touch.

Today, I was re-united with my long time travel companion who spent the last 3 week in Northern Cyprus recovering from an illness. So, it gave me a chance to play history teacher once again. I brought her to the sites of the 1989 revolution and gave a mini lecture on the events of that December.

Tomorrow, it is on to London and then to NYC and back to Burlington. I actually miss it this year maybe because my trip has been done solo. These bog entries give me an opportunity to discuss the trip. My Romanian, Bulgarian and Turkish are quite limited and not a lot of English is spoken though there is a lot of interest in American culture. One hears the same music as we do at home; there are McDonald's and Pizza Huts galore. Many know the expression "have a good day” and "no problem". Taxis really are a rip off and I have had some tense moments with drivers. One charged me 5 times what I paid earlier in the day and the route was shorter.

I would say that the trip was an experience. It was difficult at times but I doubt that I will be back hare again, so in that sense, much was learned.

Some observations briefly:

1. Both Bulgaria and Romania are now members of the EU.  Prices will rise considerably and capitalism makes its inroads.

2. Islam impressed me. The Turkish election was interesting because of the contest between Islamization and secularism. Islam is making strides in Turkey contrary to Ataturk's attempts to minimize it. He thought it a barrier to modernization, (translated as westernization.) One incident struck me. I was staying right near the Blue Mosque. Across the street was a raucous party going on complete with belly dancers. As the party was going full swing, the muzzein was calling the people to prayer. Secularism or Religion. Which way will Turkey go? I would like to see Turkey in the EU. The way to understanding is by building bridges between people. Pope Benedict is seeing it my way, too.

3. Troy was interesting but one needs some historical and mythological background to appreciate it. Otherwise it is a pile of stones. At the entrance is a replica according to scale of the wooden horse. I want to read The Iliad but will probably settle for the movie, Troy.

4. Whoever sent Assusies and Kiwis ashore at Gallipoli committed on of the worst blunders in the history of warfare. They didn't have a chance.

5. Smoking is a patriotic duty in this area of the world. I will be so glad to get away from it.

6. I enjoyed exploring the Romanian Revolution. Ceasescu was an idiot and a supreme megalomaniac.

7. Traveling is also an exploration of the self. I had plenty of time for that. I pray that I can be a better person for having taken this trip.

I want to thank those of you who checked in to see "Where in the world is Mr. Pearo?" Where to next year? ...Vietnam and Cambodia beckon...maybe, but only after Europa.

Bless and Ciao,

Mr. Pearo

August 3

Hi,

It is a funny thing that I am showing people, who have always lived here, places they have never gone to. It is like having guests in Burlington and going to the Shelburne Museum for the first time to show them one of Vermont's wonders. We tend to take things for granted. Having my handy Lonely Planet guidebook and knowing a little about the Romanian Revolution helps. We spent some time in the beautiful historic center and the magnificent Orthodox Church. On the exterior of the church were memorials of heroes killed on the steps of the church, shot by security forces for waving a Romanian flag with the communist center cut out. From there it was on to an ethnographic museum where 20 buildings from past centuries were moved from the villages giving insight into peasant life. We also went to their new mall and it was certainly impressive. One thing I have noticed is the number of times I am asked, "How does it compare to the USA?" Another is, "What would it cost in the states?" There is great admiration for the quality of life that we enjoy (and take for granted).  Money is a real concern as people struggle with life's challenges in this transitional period. There is hope that with Romania's entry into the EU that things will get better.

Another interesting episode that struck me was watching a DVD with my hosts. It was BABEL with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchette. Some was in English, some in Arabic, some Japanese, some sign language, some Spanish, with Romanian script at the bottom of the screen, a true evening in Babal.Gas prices here are lower than at home. Timisoara is certainly the cleanest city I have visited this summer.

I took my hosts to a Chinese restaurant yesterday evening. Laura loves Chinese and Denny, it was his first experience. We will eat Chinese all day today because that is what one does after visiting a Chinese restaurant. They serve enough to feed Mao Zedong’s Eighth Route Army.

This will be my last day in Timisoara. I will go back to Bucharest tomorrow and meet my travel companion who has been recovering from an illness in Cyprus. I have done most of this trip solo.

Bless,

Mr. Pearo

Augsut 2

Hi,

I decided to come to Timisoara where the Romanian revolution began in 1989. It was a 9 hour train ride that brought me across the black earth region, like the Ukraine. Corn field, sunflower fields, undulating hills and a ride along the Danube across from the Serbian border, picturesque villages and finally, Timisoara. On the way I have met a great couple, Laura and Denny. Some of you might remember the Romanian orphans. Laura was one. She spent some 8 years and then traveled to the USA for a few more years before returning. She had traveled to Bucharest with boy friend Denny to apply for a visa to come to the USA. She was denied. I was disturbed by the way she was treated at The Embassy. They just brushed her off. This was after she traveled from Timisoara overnight, stood in the rain for an hour and spent a lot of money to get there. I don't care who you are. If the USA is to improve its image abroad, and the Bush administration is not well received in this part of the world, we must treat people with the respect that all deserve.

Timisoara is a very clean city with about 330,000 people. The square in the center, where the revolution began, is really attractive. It is a city of flowers that prides itself on the role it played in the revolution.  A priest had denounced Ceausescu's policies from his pulpit. When the state security forces tried to arrest him, the town citizen's circled the church. The armed forces opened up with automatic weapons and killed over a 115, including pregnant women. One can still see bullet marks on the buildings. From this incident uprisings followed throughout Romania which ultimately led to the CONDUCATOR (like Il Duce) overthrow.(described in the previous entry).

Laura speaks excellent English: Denny’s is improving. He is a baker by trade. He said" I am the cooker". They have invited me to stay at their apartment, which is a welcome break on the wallet, Laura even did my laundry. Now that is hospitality plus. Whereto next... who knows? I'll decide tomorrow.

Bless,

Mr. Pearo

July 31

Hi,

This is the most historic and expensive email of my life. I am sitting in the business center of the Hilton Athenee Palace Hotel in Revolution Square. It was here in 1989 that the Romanian Revolution occurred.  The dictator, Nicholai Ceausescu, was making a speech on the balcony nearby when the people assembled began the cry "Down with Ceausescu”. He was making a speech promising the people improvements but they would have none of it. This was in the aftermath of his troops had killed hundreds in Timisora. Of course, this revolution was inspired by the great events of Eastern Europe in 1989.( and Gorby) Ceausescu and his infamous wife would try to escape by helicopter but were captured and executed on Christmas Day, 1989.

What an egomaniac this guy was. The Palace he built that I went to yesterday is the second largest building in the world. It cost more than 3 billion euros at a time when people were starving, hospitals had no medicine and the economy wasn't functioning. One sixth of Bucharest was bulldozed to make way for the building. 700 architects labored for 5 years, 24 hours a day. It has a nuclear bunker beneath it. In Transylvania, he destroyed 8000 villages as part of a rural urbanization scheme. in the square outside where I am 1033 Romanians were killed. Students sat down in front of tanks and were crushed by them.

The Boulevard leading up to the Palace of the People is longer than the Champs Eylsee in Paris.

I hope that this email gets through. Bucharest is billing itself as the New Prague. It may be on the way but has a long journey ahead.

Bless,

Mr. Pearo

July 26

Hi

My emails are not getting through. It must be the cyber police once again.

Briefly I have left Istanbul and have made it to my 103rd country.

Before leaving Istanbul, I visited Troy and then got stranded by the tour company. No one met me as they were supposed to. I ended up going to Gallipoli with a taxi'. That was my reason for going.

I am in Sofia, Bulgaria and am doing fine except for        some minor problems. More when and I find an internet service provider in this country that works  better than this one.

Bless,Mr.Pearo

July 23

Hi,

The results of the Turkish elections are in and the ruling AK party (Islamic) has won the majority of the seats in parliament but apparently not enough to change the constitution into an Islamic state. The leader remains the same. He has brought many changes to the country according to Sarkan, with whom I spent some time with yesterday. One noticeable change is the impressive tram system, making it easier to get around this traffic clogged city. But Sarkan didn't want to talk politics. He wanted to talk the NBA. He is a NBA fanatic and has a satellite dish to watch the games. We concluded that even if a team has Lebron or a Kobe, team balance is more important. He also lamented the dismal play of the Celtics and concluded that the Spurs are the Dynasty. I could not help but thinking of the younger Spagnolo who is more current on the player personnel than I and the discussion they would have had. Sarkan told me of his career as a player, of course. One tends to become greater as the years go buy, both in Turkey and the USA.Time inflates the performance.

The Taxi drivers in this town WIll rip you off if they can. I have had a couple of shouting matches with them trying to charge me more than the meter. One even tried reaching into my wallet as I was trying to pay him. They like to take the round about route so they can charge more.

The Turkish police were very visible yesterday. They were checking restaurants to make sure that no alcohol was being served. The outside seating makes it easier for them to check. Some even got out of their cars and walked through the restaurant seeing what people were imbibing in.

I am anxious to move on to Bulgaria .They use the Cyrillic alphabet and traveling independently will challenge me. The history looks incredibly complex. Like Poland it appears to change borders frequently.

Bless,

Mr. Pearo

July 21

Hi from Istanbul. I said istanBUL and was corrected.
This was a fabulous day. I spent hours examining the Blue Mosque, Haghia Sophià and the Topkapi Palace. Though I had visited these sites before as part of a tour, it is through self-tours that really pay off. Of course, the first tour should be guided (hopefully with me).

This evening, I went to a whiling dervish performance. The first half was a concert of Sufi music, very repetitive, starts softly and picks up the tempo (almost like Ravel's Bolero).No what's her name though. The dervishes arrive solemnly wearing black gowns symbolizing the death of the ego and after kneeling and praying, remove their black gowns and reveal an all-white gown, tied with a black sash around the waist. It is weighted at the bottom to make a better swirl. The dervishes bow to each other and begin the sema (the whirling ceremony). They start with arms crossed across their chest and as the whirling progresses; the arms gradually unfold with the right hand opened and reach upward. They wear an earth colored conical hat symbolizing a tombstone. 'From God we receive; to man we give; we keep nothing to ourselves.' The goal is the abandonment of self and union with God.

The venue for the performance is a room where the Orient Express used to stop.

One of the joys of traveling is to open oneself to new experiences and stimulate a desire to read more. I am now intrigued with ATATURK, the Father of Modern Turkey. His portrait is everywhere and on everything else (slight hyperbolic). His cult is Mao like; the transformation of his country is greater than Peter the Great in Russia. He rejected the treaty after World War I, a treaty that would have given much of Turkey away to the winners. He raised a nationalist army and resisted and fought on for better terms. He was successful. In 1923,Ataturk overthrew the Caliphate and set up a secular state. He introduced many reforms, one being the introduction of the western alphabet. He also introduced the western style hat instead of the fez. A human tragedy ensued as tens of thousands of Greeks were expelled from Turkey and Turks expelled from Greece. The relationship between the two countries is still fragile given the division of Cyprus.

This weekend is major for Turkey. Parliamentary elections are being held and the big question is whether Turkey’s Muslim and secular people can coexist. Let's hope so. The world does not need another Lebanon, Iraq or Iran. As Rumi, founder of the dervishes said 800 years ago.’ Man is the most honorable of all creation'. The answer he gave was that we should therefore love each other. How many religious leaders have urged that?
Bless`
Mr. Pearo

July 19

Hi

It is challenging to say the least trying to use the key board here. They need the award winning Vinny here. I left Cyprus by myself. My travel companion went sailing to who knows where. She will catch up with me at some point. She took my guide book. I was able to get on the Express Boat out of Cyprus after waiting 2 days. The weather was too good for sailing. Beautiful skies but choppy waters. The express boat brought me to the mainland of Southern Turkey. I had no idea where I was and know absolutely nothing in Turkish. My vocabulary is limited to: ottobus. Istanbul. WC and taksi. I made it to Istanbul in 17 hours on an ottobus. Had a real scare. We arrived at gate 28 in Konya at midnight. I went to the WC. There are few stops on Turkish buses. (One must WC when one can and it is toilet trauma.)When I returned the bus was gone. My suitcase and travel documents were on the bus. I was frantic! I ran all around the large terminal and (I don’t panic easily) finally a man who knew I was in trouble directed me to gate 6 where the bus had re-located. 10 hours later (and no sleep) the bus rolled into Istanbul over the Bosphorus Bridge. I was pleased to see the big WELCOME TO EUROPE sign on the other side of the bridge. I looked for pedestrians crossing the bridge. There were none. Too many suicides. When I was in Istanbul in the mid 90s I tried to walk from Europe to Asia and back again. I was not allowed to because of jumpers. I decided not to swim because there were too many boats and there is a strong current and I would have ended up in the Black Sea (about 20 miles away)

I am now situated near the Blue Mosque and have treated myself to a good hotel. This is an incredible city.

An earlier email apparently got lost in cyber space.

I am doing jut fine and practicing my traveling skills.

A special note. I am emailing in a telemarketing center. I would love to pull the plug. How I dislike these polluters of the airwaves.

God Bless

Mr. Pearo

July 16

Hi,

All weekend I have been concerned about the status of the Visa card. I prayed that the bank would have it and I was there bright and early Monday. THEY HAD IT AND NOW I CAN MOVE ON! Mine wasn't the only devoured card. It seems that the cash machine has a voracious appetite for plastics.

My last 2 days have been very quiet. I watched the Friday Muslim religious ritual. It was an overcrowded mosque (about 2 short blocks away) and had extended to the street. Friday is the holy day for the Sunni Muslims and they go to the mosque to pray. Islam as practiced here, seems very liberal- no veils, alcohol permitted, etc.I have been well received everywhere.

Cats seem to be the favored creature on the island. They are everywhere. At dinner one jumped right on to my table and when it saw that I had chicken instead of fish, it turned up its nose and departed to the next table.

I had plenty of time to read the local newspapers in English. Many articles deal with the mass graves that are being excavated of those killed in the 1974. The remains are being turned over to their respected sides. Several articles are on the nature of modern nationalism as applied to Cyprus and, of course, criticism of George Bush, especially Cheney. The articles discuss the Bush concern with his legacy and why Americans are not liked around the world. They always distinguish between American citizens, whom they like, and the policies of our government.

I had visions of being detained here in Northern Cyprus a week or more but my prayers have been answered.
On the road again (or on the sea again) to be more precise.

God Bless,

Mr. Pearo

July 14

Hi,

I have always maintained that humor is a necessary ingredient when one travels. Now, I must walk the talk.

The archaic cash machine that probably dates from the early Mycenean Age (2000BC) devoured my Visa card. I use it to pay for my big expenditures, rooms transport, etc. I also have an ATM card which I use for daily incidentals. As luck would have it, the bank that ate the card doesn't open until Monday and the ATM allows one a daily limit. In this case not enough to pay the hotel bill. So once again, I am prisoner of the hotel. Last summer, I was one in Ljubljana, but in that case I had run out of money; in this, plenty of money, unable to access it. It will be at least Monday before I can depart this paradise, maybe longer. I will therefore become a temporary citizen of Kyrenia. I guess it could be worse. SENSE OF HUMOR, Mike! Flexibility, Mike!

Imagine this: A beautiful bay with golden beaches. Hundreds enjoying the late Cyprus afternoon. Right behind the beach a string of bombed out hotels, much like Oklahoma City. Imagine a Holiday Inn in skeletal form. Balconies hanging by the slenderest threads. The omnipresent warnings of no photographs staring into one's face. Such was the scene in Famagusta yesterday. I have seen so many bombed out buildings after Bosnia and Kosovo last summer. The desolation and human tragedy of yesteryear, and yet, little children building sand castles, oblivious to the heart breaking tragedies of their parents and grandparents. A relatively short distance away from Famagusta, Lebanese troops are pounding Palestinian camps as they have done for decades now.

Well, let us see what is in store for us today.
Bye for now,
God Bless,
Mr. Pearo

July 13

One can't listen to the Greek Cypriots. I am revising some of my earlier comments about the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Some told me about the lower standard of living here and the lack of foreign investment. That doesn't appear to be the case at all. From what I saw yesterday in a taxi tour that I took, there is a lot of construction of homes and businesses. Many British not only come to visit but to buy second homes. There is a section, high on the mountains, overlooking Kyrenia, exclusively set aside for the British. Lavish homes with magnificent panoramic views of the sea.

My new friend who owns the Irish pub said she could not live in that area because she is divorced. Apparently the people who live there must approve you before you can move into the community.

Also, this region is promoted as a wedding paradise. Many escaped from the British Isles horrendous weather to get married here. Sunshine guaranteed. Non-London prices.

One sees a lot of military regions with signs warning not to take photographs, not even from the road. I didn't even attempt it. (I am getting cautious in my old age)We went up to the top of a precipitous mountain to see the castle of St. Hilarion. It dominates the very peak. What struck me was how anyone could build something so enormous at this altitude. If the enemy attacked they would be totally exhausted just getting there.

I did make it to the Tree of Idleness and it wasn't anything like I expected. I expected a quaint little village with a spreading tree in the middle of a square with lazy village folk seated around it. It was anything but that. It is quite commercialized with craft shops, several restaurants crowded around the tree. But the tour buses come and people must make a make a living. The monastery ruins nearby are worth the trip though, so it did satisfy my romantic instincts. There was sign indicating the tree mentioned in Bitter Lemons and a photo of Durrell so one could satisfy his/her literary interests. Been there, done that!

I have arranged a private tour to Famagusta for today and tomorrow will cross the sea to Turkey.

Bless,

Mr. Pearo

July 12

Hi,

Travel has its ups and downs as anyone who has experienced a great deal of it knows. I would say that yesterday was a real downer. I spent time with the Turkish police over a misunderstanding but after several hours was able to correct the situation. It is no fun trying to explain something to someone who doesn't speak English, and me who doesn't know a word a Turkish. They were kind enough but had it not been for a lady from Cornwall who operates an Irish Pub in Kyrenia, I don't know where I would be. On top of that, the air conditioner malfunctioned and I sweated out the night, took 4 showers, and was grateful to hear my friend, the muezzin, belting out his latest Koranic verses. Man is he LOUD but right on time, 20 minutes to 5.  

Noel Coward once referred to "those mad dogs and English men who go out in the noonday sun". It needs to be updated to include this traveling American, but I am fine and ready to move on.

God Bless,

Mr. Pearo

July 11

Hi,

What a world we live in! The intense relationship between the Greeks and the Turks on Cyprus is most evident. In Nicosia, every time the north is mentioned, it is always preceded by the expression,"The illegal occupation of the North". No country in the world recognizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Turkey except Turkey itself. Turks occupy 37%; the standard of living is much lower; international investment is non-existent for oblivious reasons. Yesterday, we crossed into the north by taxis. The driver had to take of the Taxi sign on his car and tape up his license plate before we were allowed in. The first thing I saw upon getting into the north was a sign over the road proclaiming “I AM SO HAPPY TO BE A TURK".

I had a discussion with a Greek Cypriot who was a victim of the 1974 invasion. He lived in Famagusta when the invasion forces landed he fled without any of his belongings. Since then, his house has been occupied by the Turks. He was allowed into the north, (they can not stay overnight), and he went to see his old home. The people slammed the door in his face saying that they had lived there for the past 30 years. So much for the famous hospitality Cyprus is famous for. There is a section of Famagusta that has been left just as it was in 1974. Automobile showrooms still have the 1974 models on display. The whole area is fenced off and no photography is allowed.

The seaport of Kyrenia is beautiful and is looked over by a huge castle. It is the most impressive one that I have seen. No one really knows who started it (sometime early Byzantine). Its walls are 50 feet high and nearly as thick. Richard the Lionhearted captured it on his way to the Crusades. He then sold it to Knights Templar who passed it on to the King of Jerusalem after the Crusaders lost the Holy Lands. A highlight here is a museum containing the oldest known shipwreck in the world (300BC).

I have been reading Bitter Lemons by Lawrence Durrell. It is the classic travelogue describing life among the Cypriots. A famous spot mentioned is The Tree of Idleness. People gather under the tree and become the laziest people in the world. There is a restaurant in Bray, just south of Dublin named after this site. I have dined there a couple of times and the menu describes this spot in Cyprus. That is were I am going now. Maybe to catch a touch of laziness, too.

At 20 minutes to 5 this morning, the muzzein began his cry, “Prayer is better than sleep”. Better than an alarm clock and louder too.

Bless, Mr. Pearo

Cyprus - July 10

Hi,

It took about 4 hours to fly here from London. Used Thomson Air and was impressed. I am staying in the Southwestern part of the island. It seems that all the empires of the ancient world have left their impact here. The place is all archeological sites. The Greek, Hellenistic and Roman influences abound. Mark Anthony gave the island to Cleopatra; The Byzantines controlled it as did the Crusaders. We will visit some Crusader castles today. Our hotel has a commanding view over Pathos harbor and Homer's "wine dark sea".

A lot of mythological themes related to Aphrodite are part of the island's attraction.

One does not want to mention Turkey in this part of the island. Received some disbelieving looks when I mention that we would travel to the Turkish Republic in the North. In 1974 the Turks sent 30,000 troops into the North and occupied it. The island has been split ever sense. Thousands of Greeks were forced out and resettled here in the south. The British still maintain bases here. Some progress has been made so it is possible to cross into Northern Cyprus at 5 different points and the wall that had divided Nicosea has opened up. We will cross there into the North.

The sun is overpowering and the heat intense. It can sap one's energy in a hurry. The island is saturated with incredible bougainvilleas and frangipani flowers. The colors are intense and line the highways.

So long for now.

Ciao,

Mr. Pearo