I'm Discovering the World
South, Central and North America
Sibel Kavunoglu 2012-2013
This time I'm going to the southernmost tip of the world towards the end of the world. I will stop by the magic land of the Mayans. I've been thinking about making this trip for two years, luckily this year. How prepared am I for this trip? Never......
There are so many places to see in South America. It is very difficult to plan ahead. My first stop will be London. After London, Rio de Janeiro, then Iguazu waterfalls, the land of Tangos, Buenos Aires, and the end of the world, Patagonia... That beautiful vast land, glaciers, sea lions, penguins, and if I'm lucky, I'll be able to see whales!
After Patagonia, I will stop by Bolivia, Peru, the land of pink dolphins, and Ecuador, where I can get a little closer to the sky. Finally, a return to Istanbul from Colombia, Panama, Nicaragua, Belize and Yucatan, where the Mayans lived in the past, Cancun (maybe I can surprise myself and move on to Cuba) and Boston. My intention is to be at the zero point in Peru on December 21st and in Ecuador on December 31st, to meet new people, to pamper myself with different experiences and most importantly to get to know my soul more...
South Asia
Sibel Kavunoglu 2012
3 I am flying from Istanbul to Delhi as of December. According to my plan last year I was going to be going to South America on these dates, as soon as I found out that the Dalai Lama would be doing his 32nd Kalachakra study in Bodhgaya, my whole itinerary changed. While I've been to Asia, I want to see South India, Sri Lanka, Bangkok, Laos, Vietnam, and Singapore and Bali from there, which I haven't seen before. Only Vietnam and Laos visas are not clear, so I will try to make a forced landing in Bangkok and get a visa.
This time, a few of my friends were going to join my trip, but unfortunately, there was no luck. My dear little bird Duyum will join the Bali part of the last part of my trip from Boston. There may be a surprise participant at the last minute, who knows?
Far East, Asia and India
Sibel Kavunoglu 2011
Yes, I saw the way again. I look forward to traveling and seeing different places, learning new things, meeting sages and immersing myself in the flow of the unknown. This time my trip consists of 3 separate stages. In the first and second phases of my trip, I will be involved in the organization of my dear friend Pınar “for the good people”. On February 13, I will fly first to Bangkok and then to Burma. Our guide will be Jeff Oliver, who has been a priest in Thailand for 8 years and is now a mindfulness/vipassana instructor. Burma (Myanmar) is one of the most mysterious and fascinating countries in the world. The land of the Burmese girl who was sent as a gift to the King in the famous movie The King and I... We will be meeting friendly and hospitable Burmese people. Of course, besides all these, we will enjoy the famous Thai massage and the pleasure of cooling off and diving in the blue waters with white sands.
On February 27, the second phase of my trip will begin. First we will drive to Anchor temples in Cambodia and then to Koh Chang island where we can experience sea, sand, massage, sunset, sunrise… whatever is romantic. .....
Iran 2011
Sibel Kavunoglu July 2011
I'm sure you're thinking, "What's wrong with going to Iran in this hot season? you think of. Actually, going to Iran in the heat of July didn't seem very wise to me either. Since the travel date was predetermined, if I really wanted to go to Iran, I had to comply with this date. Or I would give up my love of going to Iran.
Apart from the temperature in Iran, the other issue that worried me was that we would be covered. Fortunately, our dear guide Zafer Bozkaya had sent some photos of how women in Iran dress before he left. In the photographs, Iranian women usually wore trousers and long blouses that covered their hips. Their heads were half covered. They put their hair in a bun and wear the headscarf by starting over this bun protrusion. The front of her hair was completely exposed. They could not completely remove the hijab, as the Sharia laws were still in effect.
Nepal- India 2010
Sibel Kavunoglu 2010
I am going on a beautiful journey that will last 2 months in August. My route is India and Nepal.... Do I flee to other places while I'm there? I do not know. On August 17, at 3:00 in the morning, I will set foot on the land of Delhi, which is the first leg of my journey. And thus, my 11-day journey to North India will begin. I will first visit the Red Fort, Jama Masjid, India Gate and Jain Temple in Delhi, and then travel to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. After Agra, I will be passing through Jaipura. There are many places to visit in Jaipur. First I'll go to Pink City, then Monkey Temble, Tiger Fort, then Amber Fort with the help of the elephants. You can't come to India without having henna done. I'm going to get henna done at Chowki Dani, maybe I'll get palmistry checked!!
My arrival from Jaipur to Varanasi will be around August 23. Varanasi is one of my favorite places to see. I will attend the Aarti ceremony with the cremation ceremony on the Ganges river. When I'm in Varanasi, I'm thinking of stopping by the silk market where silk fabrics are sold. In Varanasi, I will finally stop by the Bhamekh Stupa, where Buddha gave his first lecture.