Instagram story viewer> @mabajis> Posts

Maher Bajis

@mabajis

754

followers

1983

following

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Every so often I like to spend the night in a hotel room. This way i can catch up on sleep. I can take a shower. If the weather is sunny i can wash my clothes in the sink and hang them up in front of the open window to dry.
I am used to paying $20 for a bed in a dorm or up to $30 for a room with a private bathroom.
Today I’m Istanbul and I went to more than a few places looking for budget accommodations. I found an innkeeper who was willing to negotiate but he wouldn’t go lower than $35 for an airconditioned room. I walked away.
I hadn’t gotten 20 feet away when I heard him call me back. He said “I have a room for you but it comes with conditions. Do you agree?” He looked me up and down measuring me as if he’s seeking an excuse to back out of this offer.
I hesitated but I said “yeah” because I’ve been in some seedy places already so how bad could it be?
“You have to sleep with a window cracked open all night. You must keep a full water bowl in the northwest corner for the resident”
I said “oh so it’s a dorm?” “No, you’ll have a roommate. It’s a cat. If you mistreat her in any way you’ll be out on your ass regardless of the time of night. I’ll know”
So tonight I’ll be sharing my bed with a female boss who I’m required to keep warm through the night. But I’ll save $5 on a hotel room. Breakfast is supposedly included I just hope it’s for both of us and not just the cat. taken in Sultanahmet / Old City by @mabajis

27

5

4 months ago

Today I visited the birthplace of Epictetus. It took me an extra day of travel but I made it to Hierapolis where the father of stoicism was born into slavery in the first century AD.

It wasn’t a pilgrimage but a way to honor the philosophy which helped shape my views on life more than any other.

Epictetus taught that freedom doesn’t come from circumstances but from how we react to them. Other Stoics such a Marcus Aurelius and Miyamoto Musashi, among others, were probably more impactful but Epictetus is where it all started with me.

I travel the way I do because it helps me practice the “dichotomy of control” Epictetus taught.

Traveling through towns and villages in Turkey without a plan and flowing with whatever comes my way is stoicism in action. It teaches me to focus on my responses, my effort, my peace.

The rest isn’t up to me. taken in Hierapolis Ancient City by @mabajis

39

3

4 months ago

Three years ago Hatay was devastated by an earthquake but its people are anything but broken.
Despite having lost so much they overflow with hope and they still found ways to share what little they have with a stranger. Many don’t even have homes of their own yet but they offered me a place to stay.
I’ve rarely witnessed such resilience in the face of hardship. The people of Hatay are short of many things but not on spirit. taken in Antakya, Hatay by @mabajis

29

3

4 months ago

Sunset in Capadoccia taken in Göreme - Capadokia (Turkey) by @mabajis

40

2

4 months ago

Exactly where I need to be when I need to be. taken in Hattuşaş by @mabajis

52

2

4 months ago

Just wandering through Türkiye with no real plan and somehow ended up in Amasya — a beautiful town on the Yeşilırmak River that I’d never even heard of before. I rolled in with a backpack and a limp, and it instantly captured my heart.

This place has an endless, quiet charm. The people are incredibly warm, the food is distinct and delicious, and it genuinely feels like a little island of culture tucked away from the rest of the world.

What blows my mind is the history: Amasya has been continuously inhabited for 7,500 years. Originally settled in the Late Neolithic period, it later became an important Hittite fortress town known as Hakmış. Under the Kingdom of Pontus, it was called Amaseia and served as their first royal capital under the Mithridates kings. Centuries later, it became a favorite training ground for Ottoman princes. Fatih Sultan Mehmed (the one who conquered Constantinople) spent part of his youth here governing the province.
The list of civilizations and empires that have passed through here is absolutely dizzying.

I wonder why I’ve never heard of this place before

Here are a couple of photos I took today. taken in Amasya by @mabajis

50

12

5 months ago

In what might be the greatest ironies of my entire trip, I almost got swept away by a flash flood just a few meters from the site of Noah’s Ark. The universe has a wicked sense of humor. by @mabajis

49

5

5 months ago

In Hakkari today I climbed a hill to get to a viewpoint so I can see the valley below in the Zagros mountains. A little boy saw me at the bottom of the hill and asked if he could join me. I said he could. After we descended again he told me that in Türkiye I need to have Turkish money and he insisted on giving me 10 lira (equivalent to 22¢) to help me survive in his country. Of course I refused but when I saw him become sad I took it and thanked him for the assistance. That made him happy. At first I felt bad about taking the money but then I realized that what he got in return is something much more valuable. Respect. He saw a guest and he did his duty. I honored his kindness. He told me his name but I forgot it already (I’ve spent so much time with children today) These are the kinds of encounters that make travel meaningful for me. Not the castles or the forests, but moments like this, when a human connection is made and a positive memory is planted in my heart taken in Hakkari, Turkey by @mabajis

36

4

5 months ago

by @mabajis

9

1

6 months ago

Lycian Way in Türkiye taken in The Lycian Way by @mabajis

81

7

6 months ago

The best sandwich in Bergama if you’re backpacking across Turkey. Best value for the money. Thank you chef Choban by @mabajis

43

2

6 months ago

Backpacking from the ancient city of Troy and making my way to the temple of Athena in Assos. Great views of the Aegean Sea. taken in Asos Antik Kent by @mabajis

58

6

6 months ago