take me out of the city where my thoughts can roam

After spending the summer in various cities of various sizes in various countries, I decided it was time to let my thoughts and my shadow roam free. The original plan was to spend time in turkey while waiting from a friend from Sweden to arrive to Istanbul. Instead, I landed in Istanbul at 10pm, took the metro to the central bus station, hopped an overnight bus to Sofia, Bulgaria, then another 6 hour bus to Bansko, a small mountain village. Situated in a deep valley between the Pirin and Rila mountains, Bansko was the perfect setting for some quiet wandering, a little writing, some hiking, and with a little bit of luck, some work on a local farm.
Upon arrival, I was aimlessly wandering the half empty streets looking for a place to lay my head when I stumbled on a three stall farmers market. There was one lady selling the usual fruits and vegetables, another selling potatoes and onions and a man named Illian selling all sorts of peppers. Hmm interesting, here was a man selling a variety of peppers in a tiny town of no more than 1000 people. I had to find out more. After a short conversation about what on earth an American, an Iraqi American nonetheless was doing in these remote parts of Bulgaria, I convinced him to let me help out on his pepper farm for a couple days for a free place to stay. The next two days were spent either nailing the bottoms of wooden fruit crates or walking the long rows in the pepper fields marking the location of dead plants.
Illian and his family took good care of me and fed me well. However, I was ready to make my way to the mountains that were staring me in the face the past two days. I packed up my things, rented a tent and made my way out. The Pirin Mountain range is in southern Bulgaria and is known for its sapphire blue glacial lakes. The mountain range itself is comprised of tall steep peaks with wide valleys that hold over 130 lakes. The valleys are flush with vegetation while the steep peaks are either blanketed in snow or made up of large slabs of sheet rock. This made for a beautiful contrast of life and lifeless.
The first 3 days of hiking were spent solo. I took every opportunity I could get to take a refreshing dip in the glacier relic lakes. The peacefulness and stillness of the mountains brings a fresh breath of life into the lungs of anything living. It’s no wonder the Dalai Lama finds his wisdom in the vastness of the Himalayas.
On the third day, I met a Bulgarian married couple from Sofia, Todor and Tsveti. We happened to be hiking along the same route so they invited me to tag along and enjoy some company. This was extremely welcomed after 3 days of no human to human contact. Todor is a real estate broker from sofia that lost his job after U.S. Banks ruined everything for everyone and decided to take extended camping trips with his wife throughout the Balkan Mountains.
Being from the West, I was extremely curious about the Eastern Block and about life in Bulgaria under communist rule from 1950 to 1989. They told me of the better, more secure life under communism while I tried to explain the benefits of democracy (that is, if you still consider America the voice of the free). Todor and Tsveti are old enough to remember the communist regime and what it was like. They spoke of how back then, the mountains were full of Bulgarian hikers and campers because everyone could afford it and had the time off. Now, the trails lay abandoned while people slave away in the city trying to make ends meet in a society that has left the majority worse off than before. Sounds like an all too familiar story.
Its 5am, and I’ve spent the night in the Sofia bus terminal waiting for my bus back to Istanbul for the last week of my sojourn. A week in the mountains was just what I needed before returning to a year of grad school, projects and deadlines. It will soon be time to return home. In the end, the rivers return to the mountains, but carry with them the wisdom of the sea – A.R.

Holy for all, peace for none

within a few days spent in Jerusalem, Israel, and Palestine, a human will experience intensified emotions of every type. From religious fulfillment, to sadness to anger to compassion to frustration. Its all there. I dont know which describe here with the few words and limited time i have. Why did i choose to go to Israel? the two most important reasons are to get in touch with the christian faith within me and to see first hand the conflict between israel and palestine. I can sit here and write about how i got held up for 9 hours at the israeli entry border solely because my parents are Iraqi. Or how all palestinains are treating like sheep by 19 year old female soldiers barking orders at 65 year old men and woman. I can attempt to illustrate the power of Jerusalem and all its holiness. The millions of christians, muslims, and jews that bow to their respective prophets/messiahs/gods only seperated by walls. or i can go into the absolute mistreatment and inhumane conditions of some of the Palestinian territories. How in Khalil there are over 4000 IDF troops defending 150 Israeli settlers that hurl rocks and foul toilet water down at the palestinian market goers. Or how about the fact that every palestinian I came across tried to kill me with love. For its the only weapon they have. The only means of getting people to comprehend their situation.

On my second day in Jerusalem, a few palestinian boys gave me a secret tour of the city. They took me to rooftops that only locals knew about. jumping from rooftop to rooftop Alladin style. That night, I along with a few friends I made at the citadel decided to return for a sunrise experience on one of the rooftops that had an unparalleled panoramic view of the Church of the Holy supulchre, The Western Wall, and the Dome of the Rock. The morning sun brought a unique juxtaposition of the ringing church bells, muslim prayer calls, and the sun illuminating the behemoth Wailing Wall.