. . . LAND ROVER OVERLAND EXPEDITION

. . . AROUND THE WORLD 2001/02
     
Home
Africa 1999
Around-the-World 2001/02
 

The Team

Jeff Willner
1. Start: Recipe for Adventure
2. Zimbabwe: Hyperinflation
3. Namibia: Southern Circuit
4. South Africa: Circuit 2
5. Zambia/Malawi: Sketches
7. Kenya: Bandit Country
8. Ethiopia: Diary
9. Ethiopia: Border Run
10. Sudan: Across the Sahara
11. Egypt: Cape to Cairo
12. Jordan/Syria: Sept. 11th
13. Turkey: Hospitality
14. Bulgaria/Romania/ Hungary
15. Slovakia/Austria/Poland
16. The Baltics & Russia
17. Scandinavia
18. Western Europe
19. Brazil: Clearning Customs
20. Argentina: Revolution
21. Argentina: To Ushuaia
22. Patagonia Disaster
23. Buenos Aires Beautiful
24. Uruguay: Beaches
25. Chile: Expedition Life
26. Bolivia: Atacama
27. Peru: Transit
28. Galapagos: Gorgeous
29. Ecuador: Jungle Run
30. Knifepoint
31. Dubai: Lay over
32. Singapore/Malaysia
33. Thailand: Hospitality
34. Cambodia: Ankor Wat
35. Vietnam: Hanoi & Halong
36. Laos: Back to Basics
37. China: Beijing Tour
38. China: Shanxi
39. China: Western Province
40. China: Tibet
41: Nepal: Mountains
42. India: Driving Struggle
43. Pakistan: Dodging War
44. Iran: Overcharging
45. End: One Last Laugh

Sally DeFina
1. Cape Town: Robben Island
2. Zanzibar: Mike & I
3. Kenya: African Driving School
4. Sudan: Mud Crossing
5. Patagonia: Goodbye Max
6. Malaysia: Mike Update
7. Thailand: Ko Phangan
8. Cambodia: Phnom Penh
9. Vietnam: By Train
10. Laos: Vang Vieng
11. China: Meet Mr. Chen

Jody Finver
1. Start: Surreal Solipse
2. Great Zimbabwe
3. Brokedown in Kenyan Desert
4. Egypt: So Should I Hyphenate
5. Poland: Home is Where the Truck Is

Gulin Akoz
1. Start: Bits and Pieces
2. Zambia: Diaries
3. Egypt: Africa Memories
4. Turkey: For Your Information
5. The Team and The Bean
6. Somebody Else's Child
7. On My Own
8. Long Lost Memories of Childhood
9. The Tree and the Boy
10. Jealous
11. The Aftermath

 

Panamerican 2003
Various Trips
Planning an Expedition

 

VALUED SPONSOR
Kensington Tours can help you plan your own expedition anywhere in the world.
www.KensingtonTours.com

#4 - Just For Your Information
Gulin Akoz, Oct. '01

Istanbul - I have put on weight! Can you imagine?! I might as well be the only person who has gone to Africa and gained weight :) My special thanks to Jeff :) The upside is, my pants are a bit tight but I can still get into them!

- I still have the roots :) so my hair is growing back. Meanwhile I don’t have to bother to comb my hair, don’t need a hair-dryer, am saving on shampoo and saving the environment. (for those who don’t know what happened, there was an accident, I wanted a good hair cut because I wanted to feel like a woman after three months on the road. But vola! It’s worse than before! I virtually have no hair on my head! Never understood women who spend hours in beauty saloons spending so much money, this was the first and probably will be the last for me!)

- I hate all this that's going on in the world. As a child I was bewildered when there was an act of terror and several groups took on the responsibility. I would ask my father "Why are all these people saying they did it?" Surely some were taking the guilt for something they did not do! I remember my father answering "They are fighting for a cause and want to acknowledge it." That did not solve the puzzle for me, it still did not make any sense... why would people fight, why could they not live in peace? I could never comprehend...

I guess it's a shame that at this age I still cannot understand it. But at least I have learnt that there are all kinds of people in the world. Progress hah? :) Still, this does not make it any easier for me to see people suffering.

And as Ducas had said "After all, isn't it the same God we worship?"

- It’s not only between religions, there’s dispute within the same religion, too. In Turkey there has been controversy for the past five or ten years. It is against the law to cover your hair (wear a turban) when you attend school or go to work. So some people argue that these girls/women should not be allowed in the classroom and I heard from a friend that the final situation is like this: If you allow somebody in your class whose hair is covered your superior is supposed to report about you, if not then his superior will and then you and him are going to be punished!

Maybe for me, it's all about being fair and this is all too unfair in two aspects. First of all, if it is the people with a certain belief that you want to prevent from being educated, then how are you going to pick out men since they don't have any visible indication like a turban. The other thing is it is also against the law for TA's, professors and university staff to wear jeans, women are not allowed to wear pants at all and they are not allowed to wear mini-skirts either. And we all do! So... if they want to apply the law they should not apply it partially. They should make the staff wear appropriate clothing, too.

- Of course I’m not going to give up the trip. Did never consider dropping out seriously. "I’m not quitting unless there is a health problem or death" I had said to myself in the beginning. And I normally stick to anything I do. Giving up… it ain’t that easy :)

- I think going West instead of East is better. We're going to live an extra day! (see "Around the World in 80 Days") The only problem with this new route is I was saying "If I complete this round-the-world tour, I will have been to 70 countries but not France." Then I figured out… found a consolation: I'll save Paris for my honeymoon. Now that won't be possible. But who cares?

- Istanbul is nice but I have to get out of here as soon as possible. It devours :) all my time. The other day I realized that I started living as I normally do in Istanbul. I want to go to all those movies, theaters, all the new places and the old ones I love, see all my friends, I could do all these without having to think about it before because I never had a time problem, but now I do! I had to remind myself that I'm actually on the road now or at least that's the way it should be.

- It's not good to be indecisive but I really have so much fun with myself sometimes. You know what I normally do? I tell people 'okay' first and then think about it... if I want to do it or not. Actually that's how I started this trip too. I said okay, what needs to be done first? Send a cv and photos. But they should accept me to the team first, right? If they do, then I'll think about it :) and of course you go ahead and do it once you have said yes or started something :)

Likewise I was on the news on TV. Also I was a guest at "Desert Island", a radio program that you pick 10-12 songs you would take with you if you were to go to a deserted island. It took me 8 hours to pick the songs (i know, i'm crazy :) and 2 more to select the top 10. It was too sad to eliminate some of the songs. But sometimes you have to make choices in life :(

- I had told Jeff that I did not want to be famous. But I guess it's too late now :)

Copyright January 1999-2011
All rights reserved