imaginary excitement.

I woke up this morning wondering if the unusually bright sky was from police helicopters sending a SWAT team into our next door neighbor's apartment because they're so darn loud all the time. Imagine my disappointment when I realized the brightness was from yet another whiteout snow storm. (is that good enough for ya, Jeremy?)

This is the time of year when I'm usually planning my Great Spring Vacation, but no thanks to the economy, certain real estate woes, and superfluous bicycle purchases, this year we're planning Imagination Vacation instead. Ben and I have it down:
Fly to Tehran. Tour Iran for several days. Then, take the Trans Asia Express for the 70 hour ride to Istanbul. Tour Turkey for several days. Fly home from Istanbul.

The Trans Asia Express is piquing our curiosity because Lonely Planet, which rarely dares get too supporive and effusive about things, had this to say:

This was one of the most enjoyable trips I have made. I was the only foreigner on the train, and once this was discovered I had not nearly enough time to visit all the different compartments full of people wanting to chat (and feed me! Oh, so much food…). It is quite a spectacle to watch the (largely middle-class) female passengers switch from coats and scarves into T-shirts and hairpins as soon as you cross the border. The men, of course, fetch beer and the whole thing has a bit of a party atmosphere. I spent the days learning to sing the poems of Hafez and being pursued by the suddenly liberated single girls (Valentines apparently being in the air). All in all, a very, very interesting trip – definitely a journey.

How could you not want to take this train? Unfortunately, since the Iran flight situation is like the Damascus one was, the tickets are really, really expensive. Some day... soon, I hope.

Day off from running. 9 tomorrow, computrainer Sunday.
(photo stolen from here.)