I flow back to Zurich after 4 weeks.
exactly 4 weeks I was there, in Asian side of Anatolian city, Istanbul. I was staying with Amy a friend Rachelle. However she was in US 2 weeks and I was there alone with two cats, a very nice one and an annoying one who just kills your nerves. But I was ok with it and I was doing my work in the room, so I more was feeling pity for the cat who likes to play and didn’t have good company to play.
my flight was at 14:05 on February 19 and I had to carry all my bags again in the same way as I went there. I had to check in just one bag up to 23km, so I had to grab all my bags with my mattress and use a whole pack of tape to hold it. Then it was an un convenient thing to carry plus my camera bag, handle bar bag and a plastic bag!!
honestly it was hard and the worth thing I had to change public transport 4 times!! I had no way!! I couldn’t take a taxi as I had enough money just to use public transport, even at lat I found out which I don’t have a single TL to put and get a trolley.
the transport itself is a story. First I had to walk almost 5-600 m to the m in street. afaer 300m my hands were not working anymore, too tired. A Turkish guy offered me to help and he helped to carry my bag together to the main street where I could catch a bus. He stopped a mini bus and helped to put the bag inside but the mini bus start moving and he got locked inside.
The next stop he got off from the minibus as he was going to the different direction but the driver shouted him why he didn’t pay!! He explained which was just going to help me and he got in to explain, driver began to drive and he was again locked inside.
he came all the way to Kadikoy but the stop for minibus was almost 500m from the ferry!! While bus stop was just next to the ferry. I had a hand for help anyway but in one side I was feeling embarrassed as he was just there to help and in the other hand I needed that help. He was like an angel for me otherwise it was almost impossible to continue carrying that bag that way.
I got a ferry to Eminunu and then I had to carry that bag again to tram stop. I was in the tram and I counted all the stops, if nothing wrong happen then I would be in airport 50 min before the flight departs. Still I had to count the time I needed to walk to the main hall and check in desk!! I was a bit stressed but after a short while I just ignored it.
still I had to change the tram into a metro and there were two possibility to change, !! again I counted and I saw there is 15 stopes between the two junctions and if each junction takes 2 min then it would be around 34 min!! I was running out of the time and in a very critical situation.
remembered when my friends had missed the flight I was angry with them and telling them why you were not enough neat and on time while traveling. I was blaming them and now I was going to be in the same problem which was so silly.
I arrived in Aksarai, the first junction and suddenly I jumped out to change the train in the first junction. I was thinking that one might have less stops and is a bit faster. It was all about minutes.
as soon as I was out of tram I saw myself lost in the street!!! No sign for the metro and I was just confused in the middle of crowd.
I asked a guy and he showed me a direction, I began to run to the other street, then skirted a corner into the left and I saw a building far away under constriction!! It was metro!!! Oh no…I was running which a man ran after me to give me my rain jacket which I had dropped, my backpack was open widely and I had to put everything down to zip it up again. My head was like a clock and I could hear all tik tak tik tak…
finally I was there in metro!! I already missed 15 min which I am sure I would not lose it if I wouldn’t change the tram in that stop. I looked at the schedule of metro and surprisingly I saw it will move in 5 min!! shittttt
I had no stress anymore as I stopped caring about it. I will miss the flight, nothing will happen. But anyway as soon as the metro arrived to the airport I ran to the desk. No one was there but just one of the personnel . ok..finally I was there and still it was open just 40min before the flight departs.
I gave my bag and walked confidently into the plain.
I sat in my seat and there were a couple sitting next to me. Before the flight departs they moved and I was alone there, but I was surrounded by some Spanish ladies.
Few min after takeoff one of them came and sat next to me. She began to talk and soon after I realized her husband is Iranian and they were a group of peace activist. So we had so much to share and talk about. I showed her my video and she passed it to all her friends and soon after I had so many friends and I didn’t know how the flight ended. It was my first flight which I was not that happy to arrive. We had such a wonderful conversation and I was really enjoying it.
I was again in Zurich, such a beautiful feeling I had. my feeling was a mixture of success, excitement and motivation to continue.
Jamal was there waiting for me. Jamal is a Palestinian guy who I met on December 25 while cycling with Benno. He was also cycling with his wife Fransizka and we had a chance for a little chat. He saw my shirt which was written Iran on it and it was the reason we began to talk.
later that week Fransizka sent me an email and told me if I go that direction again, I can visit them and when I was coming back to Zurich she offered me to stay with them and picking me up from airport. It was really kind of them and I needed as I was too tired of carrying that stupid bag.
they lives in a city called Echenbach which is 40km from Zurich but they have a shop there in Zurich, so I would come with them every day to Zurich to do my job, meeting my friends and in the evening going home with them.
I stayed there 2 nights and then I went to stay one night with Rachelle and Estefan and Michael.it was great as they were all day long at home and we had enough time to spend as the last time I couldnt spend much time with Stephan. he is a wonderful boy and I could get a long with him so easy.
On Friday evening Klaus came to pick me and we drove to Frastanz- Austria.
I was so happy to meet him again and have a chance to stay with him a bit more this time. we already had dinner in Franziska’s place, so we were a bit late.
Along the way I was thinking how a person could be kind and how a very simple and short meeting could make a friendship this way. I was remembering that hard day in Albegpass under snow while I was totally wet and cold, something anyone may wish to do not have it, do not experience it or get stuck in that kind of condition. I might wish the same but honestly that hard and harsh condition was the reason I met Klaus, as he would not stop if I was fine.
life is all the same and we get the best things out of hardest moments in our life. That’s why I love challenges. I remember that day, I was wet and cold and I couldn’t continue, I stopped by a restaurant to have a coffee and get a bit warm. It was St Anton. The guy took a picture from me and he said I just take this picture because when I tell my friends about you no one would believe. You are crazy!!! He asked me to take a train but I couldn’t afford it. I had to continue which was my only option. I am really grateful which most of the time I cant chose and I had to follow what which is going on. If I had an option I would definitely took a train that day but not being able doing so caused me to meet Klaus, make a friendship and later again visiting him, he helped me to find a school there and tomorrow I am going to visit his sister in
Biel in Switzerland and her school too!! So many beautiful moments, friendships and wonderful feeling came after all those hard moments, after that difficult day and of course thanks Klaus who started all these things happening.
On Sunday we decided to go for skiing, it was my second day of skiing and I was so happy and excited. We went for ski touring which was so good and my very first experiences of skiing was touring!! We were laughing as I knew Klaus would have so much fun. I was falling a lot and he was filming all my failures.
tired but excited and happy we returned. On Monday I was planning to meet Jasminka who I met before in train from Salzburg and I have planted a tree for her in Istanbul.
I had only one choice to get there which was hitchhiking. She lives in a city called Worgle which is almost 240km from Frastanz. In the morning I went to the road standing with a paper written “Worgle” on it and my thumb up. After almost 15min a post truck stopped by and the German driver called me to get in, he kindly took me to Innsbruck and there I change the car to Schwiz where I had still 40km to Worgle.
I was in the middle oh highway and I couldn’t stand by the highway, so I found a restaurant and I had to wait there to find a lift! Not many cars were passing, so I was waiting around 25min there till a Polish truck gave me a lift.
last 3 km I walked and then I was there in train station, I called Jasminka and she was there to pick me in 2-3 min. it was wonderful meeting her again but this time not as a stranger, also as a kind close friend.
she lives with her family who were so kind and lovely. They are from Bosnia and after war they moved to Austria and since over they are living abroad.
I had so much peace there and I was so happy to be there with them.
2 days gone so fast and I had to return, life on the road is always the same, time flies and there is no way to keep staying with people you love, there is always an end and I had to move on for others. Just the only thing I can do is to love more people and to spread the love and take it with me wherever I go, then there will be people who I love and I would always live with beloved ones.
I was planning to hitchhike back. I had an appointment on Imst and afterward I should meet Klaus in St Anton for dinner. Jasminka walked with me to the main road and I was waiting there for more than an hour. I found it useless to stay there more and I knew I have already missed my appointment. I ran to the train station where again Jasminka was waiting for me and in 5 min I was in the train heading Innsbruck.
still I had a hope to reach my appointment but it was too late and after sending few text messages to Barbara we canceled our meeting, so I had enough time then.
while sitting in the train a girl came and sat in front of me. I asked her about the next train to St Aton and she kindly was trying to help me to find out how to get a ticket from machine. I let her to explain even though I knew it but I was just thinking if a person wants to help you, why not? Let her does.
Then we talked a little bit about my journey and I invited her for a coffee where we had more time to share our thoughts and ideas of life.
It was amazing to see how we are similar in many ways. She said that she is preparing for her wedding which will be on June 29 and just an idea jumped to my mind. I offered her to plant a tree for her wedding on June 29. Her eyes were wide open and she was so surprise as later she explained that with her boyfriend, they were planning to plant a tree in their wedding and it was such a wonderful coincidence.
Life has so many surprises and still it surprises me all the time. I haven’t let life become normal and I haven’t get use to all these beautiful things happening. I am so thirsty for these circumstances and always I feel kind of blessed.
I
was in St Anton while carrying so much joy from the last meeting with Edith. I was thinking, looking back to the time I was standing by the highway waiting for a ride! I was feeling which is not going to work. I knew that I wont get a lift but for no reason I just waited. It could be considered as a mistake but it was not. I had to spend that time there to be in the train in the same time with Edith.
It was totally dark and I was walking in St Anton to the restaurant where I had an appointment with Klaus and Carolina while I had so much joy in my heart and smile on my face.
My plan was to start cycling next day but Klaus organized a school for the workshop in Frastanz, so I postponed my cycling journey for another day and I stayed there till Saturday morning when I could start cycling and on Friday I visited school to have 3 workshops in 3 different classes.
Again time to leave beloved ones!! Still after 6 years of traveling is not easy to leave. Still is hard and still I am not used to. Still I have pain in my heart while leaving my friends but in the other hand there are others waiting on the way, so I keep moving with a hope for the future and some sadness of leaving people who I love.
March 8 2012
