Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2001
Watching the sun explode out of the Aegean this morning I could imagine it as no other thing than furious horses bolting through marble stable gates and galloping into the misty sky dragging a fiery golden chariot shrieking behind, sending shockwaves of brilliance and glimmering ripples of color across the sheets of sea and the shades of heaven.
How often have I thought of 'sunrise' and 'sunset' as objects, not as actions?; they are not things to see- they should be watched.
The gods are still here in this land. The sea has a personal quality. Not the expansive grandness of the Atlantic washing the long beaches of the East Coast- no, here the sea seems friendly and close. Until you trust that attitude- then he drowns you with his fierce laughing rage. Rain falls and waves rise- out of nowhere on the calmest day the sea and sky conjoin to remind the creatures of the land of their precarious situation. The mountains look to you to remember their names. The forests are dark at night and close around you whispering unholy requests, and in every herd of goats- there is one that will stare you down- until he smiles, winks, and is gone.
I have seen many archeological sites. Yesterday I heard some. At Epidaurus, there is the most well-preserved of the ancient theatres. Carved into the side of a holy mountain, the immense theatre rises from the central semi-circular stage row by row to form a cavern that could seat 14,000 spectators- and even those on the top row (I counted 58) could hear an actor standing in the center of the stage snap his
fingers. A tour guide demonstrated, and then explained how this magnificent architectural wonder was built. Sitting in the top row, I could hear every word. Unfortunately, the guide was speaking Japanese, so I didn't pick up that much. But I learned later that it wasn't just the perfect curve of the seating and the well-planned construction- the acoustics are also a product of the density of the air in that exact spot. Location, location, location. I am near the site of the Battle of Actium, where Octavian (the future Emperor Augustus) defeated the forces of Marc Antony and Cleopatra. Not a difficult task, as Cleopatra bolted as soon as the wind turned towards Egypt, leaving Antony and his boats to fend for themselves. He followed right after her, paving the way for their eventual suicides and the establishment of the Roman Empire. Ah, the amazing power of love. Octavian built a little town nearby called Nikopolis (the city of victory) and forced a bunch of neighboring peoples to move there. There's not much there now. The Greeks have always resented being told what to do.
Dan
Subject: Thessaloniki
Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2001
Whether it's clever tourism marketing, or legitimate archeological labeling I'm not too sure, but I spent two days visiting the sites associated with the Greek kings of the Iliad. First was the Tomb of Agamemnon, the ancient Mycenean ruler and General of the Greek army that sacks Troy in the final reel. Again, the sound of this site- the resonating echo of my footsteps as I walked down the path into the beehive shaped cone constructed underground- was its truly fascinating attribute. As no other tourists were around, I felt the need to make funny noises and listen to the rich hollow sound that was created by the conical shaped roof, some thirty or forty feet above. I chanted the name AgammenonAgammemnonAgammenon. The site was excavated by Heinrich Schliemann, an interesting character in the world of archeology. He made himself a millionaire in the late 1800's and then turned his attention to his love for Homer, and decided that the kings and places mentioned in the Iliad and Odyssey must be based in reality. His finds, including the site of Troy itself on the coast of Turkey, and this Mycenean tomb and its adjoining palace, were truly significant to the field of archeology, but he had a particular flair for aggrandizing his finds to increase his reputation in a field where, according to the establishment of the time, he was a rank amateur. Upon discovering a particularly kingly grave, he revealed a golden mask intact on the body and immediately sent a telegram to the King of Greece that he had "gazed upon the face of Agamemnon". Later research indicated that Schliemann had actually dug too deep in his search for the Kings of Homer and unearthed graves from about 300 years earlier than those which could have belonged to the Trojan War era- about 1500 BC. But all in all a fairly amazing linkage between history and legend.
Also on my itinerary were a mound of stones on top of a hill labeled "The Sanctuary of Menelaus and Helen". If you know your Homer, not a lot could have happened there. And then the Palace of Nestor, the wisest of the Greek kings. And then I spent an afternoon in hell. Near where the River Acheron (also known as the Styx) flows into the Ionian, it spreads out, and in ancient times created such a swampy, misty, heavily vegetated region that it was believed that the gates of the underworld were nearby. By the 8th century BC (and possibly earlier) a temple was built near the Acheron and pilgrims wishing to communicate with the spirits of their dearly departed would arrive, undergo 'cleansing therapy' from the priests (including the consumption of mildly hallucinatory plants), and engage in ceremonies allowing them to call upon the spirits. The site has a large underground hallway, and excavations have revealed secret passageways and vaguely theatrical lifting and pulling mechanisms, most likely used by the priests in 'assisting the spirits' to rise.dan
Subject: where?
Date: Fri, 23 Nov 2001
>Dan- we are hoping to hear from you soon- I have sent a dozen messages—dad and I are going up to Alexandria today- so if you get this- please send response to this yahoo address- can check it at steve’s- we will be back Monday- hope to hear from you before then. Had a nice Thanksgiving dinner at Jim and Gail’s. Everyone says hello. Also- Jim is doing a pottery project and wants to have the word tarheel in as many languages as he can get- can you help? Would like letters and script. Address is jbisbee@coastalnet.com Hope you are ok- Love, Mom
Subject: Re: where?
Date: Sat, 24 Nov 2001
I’m sorry mom- I’ve just been on the road and sort of disconnected for a while- and I thought thanksgiving was next week. I am in crete with a couple of fellas- we rented a car- I hope to head to Rhodes on Tuesday. I will call as soon as possible- dan
Subject: Crete
Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2001
Hi everybody… without the usual bombardment of television and storefront advertising I seem to have lost track of time, i.e. I thought thanksgiving was this week- I knew it had something to do with Thursdays in November, but I couldn’t remember which one. So, I hope everyone had an enjoyable feast; I probably ate a gyro that day and the unidentifiable meat may have been turkey, so in my own little way perhaps I was unconsciously celebrating with you. Of course, I eat gyros everyday here in Greece…
I’m in Crete for one more day and then on to Rhodes (another island, very close to Turkey)
Best wishes to all…Dan
Subject: dan’s plans
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2001
Hi folks-
Sounds like the Christmas plans are coming together. My original plane ticket is for the 2nd of January from London to Dallas via Toronto. That was the original plan, and as you all know my original plan has changed a bit, but the ticket remains. I suppose there are numerous ways to rearrange my travel plans to return home sooner- although I suppose I have been thinking for some time that I may try to get a job and extend them. I will have traveled to every destination I wanted to by mid-December and the leftover time was for returning to a favorite spot, or doing the job search. I guess I need to think about things for a bit. I would love to see everyone, and I certainly don’t want to wait until next Christmas to see everybody at once. But I know that I can’t just get back on a plane and come back here. So, everybody’s welcome to submit their input- I’m going for a walk. Dan
Subject: dan’s plans 2
Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2001
Hi folks-
I’m enjoying Turkey, although the night comes quickly and it gets chilly in the hotels with no heat. I’m in Selchuk, which is the site of the ancient city of Ephesus- very important in Greek, Roman and early Christian times. Did you know that according to the Church council of 431 AD it was decided that St. John brought the Virgin Mary here after the crucifixion and they both ended their lives here, John only after writing his Revelation while exiled to the nearby island of Patmos and then returning to write his gospel and letters and turning 100 years old here? I didn’t. I just knew there was a big temple here that was one of the 7 wonders of the world.
Alright here’s my deal. I checked online for my travel possibilities and have decided to spend Christmas in Istanbul and New Years in London and not deviating from my original plan too much. Although I’m looking into flying into DC instead of back to Dallas on 2 Jan. Sorry I’ll miss the family get-together, have some eggnog for me. I’ll try to stay in better touch- email is pretty cheap here but phone calls are not. Mom, do you want a Turkish rug?- the guy I am staying with is quite a salesman and I may just end up with one whether I want it or not… I only wish it was of the flying variety- could save me some bucks on the trip home…
Take care everybody- dan
Subject: Re: Turkey
Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2001
>Hi- glad you have computer access. Re the rug—got to thinking about having to carry it around with you- that would be a pain—- who is your friend? Negotiate having him send it to US-- at his expense! They bargain a lot- but I am sure the rugs aren’t cheap. Whatever- we miss you too- I dreamed about you
last night- it was opening night of some play you were directing- you had shaved your head I think- or had no hair anyway. Guess Steve has some ideas for you- he wants you to come to DC- he will tell you about the Penn early reunion. Beautiful here- can you believe- Dec. and 70 degrees- Dad is working on caulking and will start painting one side of the house. Hope to get some kayaking in- we don’t play enough- too busy with stuff. Dad decorated the arch around the front door with garland and lights- it looks nice. We have a tiny potted tree- since we are going away, we are not doing much of a thing here- seems like summer anyway! Great for golfers! Looking forward to seeing you soon- should be interesting seeing what happens in those places. All for now- Love, Mom.Subject: Re:
Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2001
Hi- I just got in from the bus ride- only a couple of hours after I called you and it has snowed. I’m not talking a little dusting- this place has snow! At least more than I’ve seen in a good long while- maybe 4-5 inches. They say it’s pretty rare and there are a bunch of college students running around having snowball fights. Thanks for the news- take care…dan
Subject: Canakkale
Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001
So the dark, chewy fluid in a tiny cup is the same stuff in Turkey and Greece, but the reason the Turks call it ‘Turkish coffee’ and the Greeks call it ‘Greek coffee’ is because the Turks invaded Cyprus in 1974. Ever since then the Greeks’ll be darned if they’re gonna call anything of theirs ‘Turkish’ again.
I am in Canakkale, Turkey- a place popular with tourists (although not now with the slush of yesterday’s snowstorm on the ground) for two reasons: its proximity to the Gallipoli battlefield of WWI (have you sen the Mel Gibson film? It was filmed back when he seemed authentically Australian) and because it’s right down the road from ancient Troy. Yes, that Troy- it’s actually a real place, however the town of Homer that was duped into accepting a giant horse from those wily Greeks is only one of 12 [9] archeological layers of settlement on the spot. If you remember the guy Schliemann, the guy who dug up Agamemnon, this is where he first made his mark, and like there he was a bit overzealous in digging and went straight for the bedrock-
after sorting out what was left the consensus is that the fabled city of the Illiad was actually the 7th city built on the site- somewhere in the middle of the archeological record.Travelers comment on the Turkish smoking culture, sometimes referred to as their national pastime, but I have found the Turks to be somewhat more advanced than their Greek neighbors- they refrain from smoking in grocery stores and when serving your food in restaurants.
I have come many miles Alexander the Great. It seemed as though every place I traveled to had some connection to his life, therefore the story kept increasing- but now it is ripe and is best be told. I have always been fascinated by the fact that Alexander the Great’s junior high school teacher was Aristotle. But, as I drove through Macedonia*, Alex’s homeland I had no idea that there would be an archeological site called the ‘School of Aristotle’ where the great thinker tutored the future world conqueror and some of his buddies for three years in the idyllic setting of caves carved out of a cliff fave next to a bubbling stream.(* Have you looked at a map of the Balkans recently and seen the area called FYROM? That stands for ‘Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’ and it is called that because Greece has a state named Macedonia and resent the usurping of that name by a region that was only borderlands to the historical region known as Macedonia. They raised a stink and are still demanding that that ‘temporary designation’ of the breakaway Yugoslav region be changed.)
I also visited Dion, at the base of Mt. Olympus where Alexander sacrificed hundreds of bulls in honor of his decision to cross the Hellespont and give the Persians the what-for. And that is where I am now- that narrow stretch of water, also known as the Dardanelles, that has been the physical and cultural dividing line between Europe and Asia throughout history. Controlling the land on either side of this channel has been the goal of many conquerors and would-be conquerors, and the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps that landed on the Gallipoli peninsula in 1915 continued this tradition- hoping a victory here would pave the way to the capture of Istanbul and the defeat of the Ottoman Turks. However, the Allied forces didn’t count on meeting the vicious defense of the Turks led by a young lieutenant colonel named Mustafa Kemal. The ANZAC attack failed and losses on both sides were tremendous. World War I eventually ended, the German and Ottoman Empires were eventually defeated. But out of the chaos of loss and dismemberment of its crumbling empire, Turkey was re-forged as the modern state we now know by the energy and amazing abities of Mustafa Kemal- known today as Ataturk- the Father on modern Turkey, a secular Muslim state that bridges the gap between Europe and Asia- West and East.
Subject: Cappadocia
Date: Tue, 25 Dec 2001
Merry Christmas my friends- I hope everyone is experiencing the joy of the holidays- no matter where you are or what your spiritual affiliation is. I spent the greater part of last night collecting socks from my fellow backpacker guests at the hostel. It was a bit difficult to explain- even given my formidable
talent with broken English and mastery of the 'charades' lexicon of evocative gestures- that it was indeed imperative that I secure an unmated sock from each of them to be suspended in the vicinity of a heat-producing device, and upon achieving that- it was only a matter of waking up the next morning to discover that the mere sacrifice of a single sock could reap a bounty of delightful goodies. After several failed attempts at cutting a chain of snowmen out of a folded newspaper with my sewing-kit scissors I felt satisfied that I had done my utmost to spread the holiday cheer. I thought it would be overstepping my bounds to demand that we pop an entire bucket of popcorn to make decorative chains. I discovered from my Australian and English friends that it was peculiarly American (or perhaps peculiar even to some smaller subset of individuals that I unknowingly belong to) to have a model train set run around the base of the Christmas tree (Or, in our case, the Christmas plant). The suggestion had apparently seemed so ridiculously odd to them that it caused several uncomfortable moments of silence while each of them attempted to formulate a response that would not diminish my enthusiasm- yet at the same time would not appear to be in such whole-hearted approval that they later could not be forced to admit that they were party to such a preposterous undertaking. I backed down on grounds of technical unfeasibility. I am in Cappadocia- smack dab in the geographic middle of Turkey- a region of singular peculiarity for its fascinating geologic formations of eroded cones and columns that the inhabitants have carved caves into over the centuries. A bit like the Flintstones' Bedrock- without all those helpful dinosaur appliances. Soon I will be headed back to Istanbul then on to London for New Years. On the second day of 2002 I shall once again set foot on my native homeland. Perhaps I will drop a message about the goings-on in London, but most likely this will be my final missive. Much has changed in the past six months, no? If any of you desire to zap a message and chat about any of my stops, my pedantic nature will more be more than willing to oblige. If any of you prayed to God that I would remove your name from my list and spare you from another droning lecture- I heartily apologize- but that's what delete keys are for. Oh, and sorry about that Canakkale message- these Turkish keyboards are a bit tricky. I suppose on your end it may have looked like something written by the Second Continental Congress, or perhaps the censored profanities of a verbose cartoon character.
I have found that when traveling on a budget, your mind begins to immediately see everything in terms of monetary value. And you begin to judge the relative value between seemingly bizarre combinations. Time is money, of course. So is food. So is a museum. So is the opportunity to NOT spend the next twelve hours with a gypsy family in the stiflingly small economy compartment of a Greek ferry boat...Is it worth more to me to spend 3 dollars on a cab or have to walk 10 minutes in the rain...Is it worth 6 dollars to not have to carry my luggage for 4 hours... If I eat this sandwich can I make a phone call...A nice meal in a restaurant or can I buy this book...Will there be more lasting enjoyment from visiting another archeological site or splurging to watch 'Planet of the Apes' in German...
I've categorized money into five different uses- money you sleep on, money that gets you from place to place, money to put in your stomach, money for stuff that you have to carry and, what I have found to be the best money spent, for knowledge and experience- the money you put in your head. All told, there was quite a bit spent. (Frankly I think the gut won out.)
Thank you Mom and Dad, Bob and Evelyn, Dave and Marsha and Olivia (the backpack is still in one piece), Sarah, Sam, Juliana and the Morris family, the Icelandic lady with the cell phone, CPT Kent Kelly, and all the great friends and family near and far- and to my brother Steve- thanks, man- you saved my butt.
Happy Holidays, my friends...and best wishes for a NEW Year!
verbum sap.
Dan Bisbee
whereisdanbisbee@hotmail.com
