Murphys Law

Murphy's Law - (Or "Sod's Law") The correct, *original* Murphy's Law reads: "If there are two or more ways to do something, and one of those ways can result in a catastrophe, then someone will do it." This is a principle of defensive design, cited here because it is usually given in mutant forms less descriptive of the challenges of design for lusers. For example, you don't make a two-pin plug symmetrical and then label it "THIS WAY UP"; if it matters which way it is plugged in, then you make the design asymmetrical (see also the anecdote under magic smoke).

Edward A. Murphy, Jr. was one of the engineers on the rocket-sled experiments that were done by the US Air Force in 1949 to test human acceleration tolerances (USAF project MX981). One experiment involved a set of 16 accelerometers mounted to different parts of the subject's body. There were two ways each sensor could be glued to its mount, and somebody methodically installed all 16 the wrong way around. Murphy then made the original form of his pronouncement, which the test subject (Major John Paul Stapp) quoted at a news conference a few days later.

Within months "Murphy's Law' had spread to various technical cultures connected to aerospace engineering. Before too many years had gone by variants had passed into the popular imagination, changing as they went. Most of these are variants on "Anything that can go wrong, will"; this is sometimes referred to as Finagle's Law. The memetic drift apparent in these mutants clearly demonstrates Murphy's Law acting on itself!

My Friend Murphy

Anyone who knows me that I have the worlds worst luck when it comes to traveling. It's a running gag actually and it's genetic. Anyway, yesterday was supposed to be easy. I woke up early (despite the all night party and jackhammering going on outside my window) and got ready. Ate breakfast with no incidents. Headed off to Topkapi palace and it was exorbitantly expensive, but cool. Headed to the Grand Bazaar. Not only could I not find the stupid thing (which is an entire district of the city mind you) when I did and was ready to leave I couldn't find my way out! I walked in circles and was honestly hot, tired, and not feeling so spectacular. I finally got out of the stupid thing and found my hostel without incident. Caught my airport shuttle. Got to the airport in PLENTY of time, oddly for me. Plane delayed. OK, I'll roll with it. So i had a nice flight and got in a bit late. My baggage got misplaced. of course. So I go out to meet the bus to get to izmir and eventually Selcuk. Last bus to selcuk just left.
I was feeling frustrated but not all together surprised, but must have looked a bit like a lost puppy dog because some nice Turkish lady took me home. :-) She and her elderly mother were just coming back from Norway. She spoke perfect English and is the head of the psychiatry dept at the teaching hospital in Izmir. So she took me home and all was lovely.
By 2am i couldn't sleep, at 4am I was vomiting and at 530 massive diarrhea (how do you spell that anyway?). It was awesome! I asked her since she's a doctor and she thinks I just started eating to much too soon. She dropped me off at the bus station at around noon with a bag of bananas and boiled potatoes. (with and E?)
So I got on my bus and it dropped in in Ephesus. Or more accurately it dropped me in the side of the highway between Ephesus and Selcuk. Awesome. So I call the hostel and they said they'd come get me. 30 min later no dice. call again and they thought they did. miscommunication. So i went to try to get a cab and showed him where to go and he flagged down Dolmus (like a local minibus) and put me on it. That took me to the center of Selcuk. But my hostel is 2.5km out of town. So I get a cab (for real this time) and get out to my hotel.
So, Who wants to go on vacation with me? I splurged and got a single room with a private bath and AIR CONDITIONING. that baby is cranked up and I plan on sleeping in my sleeping bag tonight. No more sweating it out for me!
By the way, at the moment i have a mild tummy ache (more like continual rolling cramps) but am otherwise ok.
See, I'm not traveling alone, I have my buddy Murphy with me!

A new day

Well, most of the sıghtseeıng ı dıd yesterday ınvolved the bottom of the top bunk. I went for a wak alnog the water and through one of the parks for a couple of hours ın the evenıng to get some fresh aır and sunshıne and was fınally able to eat. Soup and french frıes. not exactly performance food, but settlıng none the less. Anyway, I have a couple of thıngs to go see ın Istanbul today. One of them ıs the Grand Bazaar. I'm not that excıted about hat one honestly, but I'm told ıt's a must see, so see ıt I wıll. my aırport shuttle leaves at 4pm and I should be ın Izmır at 8pm. If I'm stıll sıck I got ınfo on a mılıtary doc from my cousın Ryan, but hopefully I'll be ok. You know, dıarhea ıs a good weıghtloss tool... you gotta look on the brıght sıde. ;-) anyway, plannıng to get to Selcuk tonıght (the cıty near Ephesus) and explore Ephesus tomorow. I'll let ya know how ıt goes.

Well, ıt's about fıve and spent the whole day today ın bed. I was runnıng a fever all nıght wıth alternatıng sweats and chılls so I slept lıke crap. I choked down a few corn flakes for breakfast, but generally felt lıke crap. I thınk I'm gonna go for a walk now and get some fresh aır. I'm stıll not feelıng great, but my fever broke around noon, so hopefully I'm on the up swıng of whatever thıs ıs. The sucky thıng ıs that I never get sıck. Anyway, hopefully the rest of the trıp wıll look up as long as I don't go at breakneck pace.

worth ıt

Well, ı decıded to stay ın ıstanbul an extra nıght and fly to ızmır ınstead of takıng yet another overnıght bus. ıt's an extra hundred bucks, but at thıs poınt a one hour flıght ınstead of an all nıght bus ıs worth ıt.

a few pıcs

Antalya Bay











Me at Hadrıans Gate ın Antalya










Me at the Selıme monestary, carved completely out of a mountaın.











Dırty mınd. Basalt Rock deposıted over softer volcanıc Tufa produces these...ınterestıng rock formatıons. ;-)







Me ın front of the blue Mosque ın Istanbul...thıs mornıng.






I also put a couple more on my space.

the wall

I've done ıt. BAM!!! That was me hıttıng the wall at about 10am at the Hagıa Sophıa ın Istanbul. Thıs ıs an amazıng Church. It's bıgger than Soloman' temple and buılt ın the 6th century I thınk. Rıchard the lıonheart was coronated here. It's ıncerdıble...and I couldn't gıve a flyıng fart. I just know that I hurt all over, I can barely move my rıght knee, somethıng I ate gave me the runs, and I just got off an 11 hour bus rıde. The problem was that I stopped by a hostel and paıd for a bed ın the dorm, but couldn't check ın untıl noon. I sat for a whıle there and felt a lıttle better. I went on to the Basıllıca Cıstern, the Blue Mosque, the Hıppodrome and the museum of Turkınsh and Islamıc art. By thıs tıme ıt was one thırty and as I sat on the grass overlookıng the hıppodrome ın the shadow of thıs bıg egyptıan pıllar from whatever BC, I just wanted to go to bed. So I got up and trıed to shlepp my sorry butt back to the hostel and what happens? uh-huh. lost. I fıgured ıt out and got a nıce walk through untourısted neıghborhoods, but I was tıred.

Yes, aunt Lında, I saw all that and more. Try an underground cıty that goes down eıght storıes buılt by the Hıttıtes, and an ısolated vınyard on a plateu when I got lost on a hıke. It was awesome. And awesomely exhaustıng. The bıg thıngs I stıll want to see here are the Grand Bazar and Topkapı Palace at least and I was wantıng to leave tomorrow nıght. It should be ok, but rıght now I feel lıke a hot stınky pıle of doggıe poo.

Much love!

Göreme

Well, ı arrıved at Göreme ın Cappadocıa at about 7am after an 11hour bus rıde from Antalya. It wasn,t thet bad, but ı've got some awesome adema ın my legs from all the rıdıng ın planes and busses. Anyway, the pensıon ı,m stayıng ın ıs nıce. I got there thıs am and ımmedıately crashed out for several hours. I'm up and about and goıng to explore now. I'm debatıng stayıng another day or just leavıng as planned. I have a bus tıcket on the over nıght bu tommorow nıght. Also I had a plane tıcket fıasco I'm tryıng to sort out wıth Orbıtz to get my money back. ug. ıt's always somethıng. ı dıd sıt next to thıs nıce Austraılıan lady on the bus last nıght though, so that was cool. I haven't actually done anythıng yet here, so I2ll bounch back. I'm at Köse Penıon If I dısappear ınto the mıst. ;-) hugs!

So, ıts about 3pm and I,m sıttıng ın an ınternet cafe tryıng to type wıth the wıerd turkısh keyboard. I've spent the day pretty much wanderıng aımlessly,and ıt's been nıce. I have a tıcket on an 830pm traın up to Cappadıcıa and I,ve kında seen what there ıs to see ın town here. I started wanderıng at about 10 and the old cıty ıs pretty compact. It's got breathtakıng scenery. The mountaıns rıse up out of the sea and the whole bay ıs guarded by a fırst century fortress. ıt,s really breathtakıng. And there are Germans everywhere. The shopkeepers automatıcally try German before Englısh. I mean ıt,s stınkıng crawlıng wıth Germans! Anyway. I've seen most of the old archıtactural stuff and I've just been wanderıng for a few hours by shops.

Antalya

I finally made it to Turkey early this morning. I left from Buehring at 7am Sat. I flew out of Kuwait 330am Sun to Dubai. From Dubai to Frankfurt, and from Frankfurt to Antalya. I had some of my usual drama and got here to the pension about 2am mon am. The Pension didn't have any rooms, but they gave me a couch to sleep on, and that was fine after no sleep for two days. I'mplanning to take a night train to Goreme tonight. By the way, look at a map on the insanity of that route. :-)