Au Revoir, Europe

…and we're back. I reached the two month mark on the road this week, which can only mean one crazy thing: today is the day I've been dreading since planning this trip. It still beats a great day in the office, but I left my hotel this morning at 3:55 AM to catch the first of four flights over 24 hours that'll end with me in Cambodia. Here's the rest of my "day" - Istanbul >>>> Abu Dhabi >>>> Bangkok >>>> Phnom Penh. Should. Be. Bueno.

I've spent the past week staring longingly at Asia from the European side of Istanbul, a gorgeous mess of a city that straddles the official line dividing the two continents, the Bosphorus. More on that later. Here are some highlights of my final two weeks in the old world:

Switzerland

After leaving Italy, I shot up to Zurich for a rendezvous with my buddies Evan and Crystal. Evan's uncle, a Bay Area native, left the US for Switzerland during the Reagan Administration and never looked back, settling along the banks of Lake Zurich with his wife and son. Over a deliciously traditional Raclette dinner, I learned a lot about what makes the Swiss economy the most competitive in the world. To wit:

1. Counties (called cantons) compete with each other for residents and businesses, often negotiating tax rates directly with the businesses and residents themselves. 

2. Echoing Tip O'Neill, all politics in Switzerland truly is local. Any development, within a canton or one of its municipalities - a new road, new street lights, a new soccer field - is subject to a referendum, making direct democracy an actual fact of life and forcing residents to take ownership over their vote.

3. All residents' income and taxes are public information, providing ample motivation to pay your fair share.

4. While university is paid for entirely by the government, only 13% of students qualify and 10% of them are cut after their first semester. 

There's a lot more where that comes from, but the main economic hallmark is clear: competition. Institutions designed to foster competition create a competitive state. Seems simple enough, especially in a country surrounded by mountains and small enough to drive across in half a day. I'm dubious the same thing could happen in large measure in the States, though. Sure, Texas can try to lure Californians with its favorable tax situation, which is why we get so many visits from Rick Perry into our Golden State. And yeah, lower state income tax rates would be great. But then you'd have to live in Texas. (I know, I know, and I agree. Austin IS awesome.)

I spent the rest of the weekend visiting with my buddy Ian, the burger mogul I mentioned a month ago, who has a house in Zurich and a thriving chain of restaurants throughout Switzerland called Holy Cow. Thanks to Facebook, I learned that my cousin Jessica and her boyfriend were also in Zurich for a six hour layover on their trip home from a medical school rotation in Kenya, which is totally awesome. Not awesome? I learned about it when they were boarding their flight home. Noooooo! So sorry I missed you, Jess. Next time, I need to heed that strange disturbance I felt in The Force. It can only mean a beloved family member is nearby. I must have skipped that day in Jedi training. Lesson to all you kids out there: go to school.

Zurich power lines

The Gibbon-Aydelott Juggernaut

Budapest

Then I spent four days in Budapest, a lovely city bisected by the Danube River with that special kind of beauty reserved for hilly cities next to water. Hungary still feels like it's emerging from decades of communist rule, even though the Wall fell more than 20 years ago, and its history is stuffed with tragedy: they've constantly been invaded, conquered, overthrown; their bridges have been destroyed and reconstructed, their churches and castles miraculously spared, keeping it a very worthwhile destination. I went for a run to check out the architecture with two girls starting a running tour business - Eszter and Lidia - and their determination to launch something in a country still feeling its way around capitalism was downright inspiring. "It's very hard to start a business in Hungary," Eszter explained. "In America, if you have a good idea, people are happy for you and want to help. Here they get jealous and try to stop you or steal it." 

She also apologized on behalf of the country for a dodgy lodging situation I chose of my own volition, and blamed herself when I couldn't get into the restaurant she recommended because I asked her where to go too late. Basically, Eszter is the nicest person in the world. Here's hoping Running Tours Budapest thrives.

Budapest Running Tour - nice shirt!

Budapest

Panorama

Istanbul

I made it to Istanbul last Friday, extremely excited to meet up with three of my good friends from SF: Julie, Veronica, and Gina (who stayed in Italy last week while I headed north). Not long after I arrived, we whisked ourselves to dinner and a night on the town ushering in Gina's birthday at a few establishments of dubious repute in Beyoglu, a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood full of bars, clubs, and restaurants, some of which charge men more than women for the same round of drinks. Boo.

Istanbul is an amazing place; as physically gifted as San Francisco or Seattle, with natural vistas and hulking bridges high above its waterways, it's uniquely positioned to marry East and West. Like most of Europe - we only crossed into Asia to hit the airport - its cobblestone streets zig zag with little organization, and they catch more than their share of flip flops (causing the clumsier among us to trip several times a day). While officially a secular state, Turkey sits at the nexus of the Islamic world; it borders Iran, Iraq, and Syria, and its population is predominantly Muslim. In case that wasn't clear, there are five daily reminders that you're indeed in a different part of the world: the solemn, eery calls to prayer from a godlike voice echoing above the city. Whereas the skylines of Stockholm and Copenhagen are marked by myriad ornamental spires, Istanbul's landscape is dominated by the minarets of its seemingly uniqutous collection of mosques. And while not as prevalent as some of its more overtly religious neighbors, it is still very common to pass on the street several women clad in black burqas, every body part covered but their eyes and fingertips. 

About those Turks. There are a few new world ideas they haven't yet adopted.

1. Lines are an essential pillar to orderly society. Wait your turn!

2. Men should be subtle when checking out ladies they find comely. Staring them up and down is kinda creepy. 

3. Being creepy is a bad thing.

4. Men should use deodorant. Like, everyday.

5. Men and women can be friends. Honest. Just because a guy is walking around with three ladies doesn't mean he's a pimp. Or a sultan to be admired, though he very much appreciates the nickname.

6. It isn't necessary to put a flag on every building. Even if it's one of the coolest flags in the world.

7. Your food industry is supposed to drench the cuisine in butter, deep fry frozen meats, and overindulge on artificial ingredients. As a result, I think it's possible that Turkish food is the best in the world. Absolutely delicious.

In one of the more surreal days of my trip so far, I scored an invite to a black-tie event at a museum owned by the richest man in Turkey. A friend of a friend has some clout in town, so after being told I needed a tux, it took me two hours to be fully suited up and ready to go, Pretty Woman style. Thank god I didn't have to eat anything with a funny-looking fork, because I definitely would have shot it across the room. And now I have some James Bond pics from a night out in Istanbul, which we can all agree everybody should have. 

Ballin'

The girls at Boo Mosque

We were each interviewed on camera by young Turks learning English. Adorably. My interviewer was the least experienced. His first question: "are you learning English?"

Galata Bridge

Yerebetan Sarayi - Turkish for "Air Conditioner"

Vern stuck in a mirror, Superman style

Farewell, Europe

And that's a wrap. After setting foot in 13 countries, reuniting with several old friends and making countless new ones, my European Vacation 2013 is complete. When I land in Cambodia tomorrow morning (around 7:00 PM Friday night in SF), I'll meet up with the delegation from Groundwork Opportunities and begin my volunteer project in Siem Reap. I'm sure to write all about it in a week, so stay tuned for that. It promises to be different than anything I've done before. After that, I make it to Koh Tao (Thailand) on June 3rd for a weeklong scuba diving course, and the beat goes on.

Until next time...

PS - The girls and I created a Spotify playlist as a soundtrack for our trip to Turkey, appropriately named "Turkish Delight." It's full of reminders of what happened while we were here, but we're missing one key track. Does anybody know a song that will remind us of the time that one of us played euchre for the very first time (in their whole life) but still felt the wrath of another player for misplaying one measly hand? If so, let me know in the comments. It'll make our soundtrack complete.