Last Day in Kas

This morning, as I sit at my keyboard, listening to the 5:15am call to prayer waft across the canyon, I am thinking of our experience in Turkey. What a wonderful visit!

Our Turkey experience was much richer, fuller and more enjoyable that I ever expected. Istanbul is a fabulous city, full of style, culture and panache on the one hand and amazing sights and unique experiences on the other. The mosques, the palaces, the bazaars are all amazing and interesting to experience. There are more Greek ruins in Turkey than a person can absorb in just a month, all accompanied by famous myths and stories of dedication and loyalty, great beauties, fierce warriors, dramatic social upheavals, clever battle strategies. And the food--oooooh, the food is fabulous. People are friendly, pragmatic and moderate. We didn't run across one single experience where we felt uneasy or threatened.

Recommendations:

Don't miss Istanbul. There is so much to see and do there. We had two days, we needed at least four to see everything and do the things we wanted to do.
Cappedocia is another area that is so different and unusual and offers much to a tourist. Two or three days there would be good.
The two restaurants in the Kas area we can recommend are Kas'im in Kas and Degirmen in Islamlar. Ask for the special of the day or your host's suggestion. It is always wonderful. Restaurant food is reasonable.

Sunday Brunch at Degirmen Restaurant

We made a date with Tom and Val for brunch, so this morning they picked us up, all 5 of us crammed into one car which Tom backed all the way down our narrow gravel street, at least a block of backing, and off we went for today's adventure.

We drove up into the hills, through craggy rocks and past ancient farms nestled in green meadows and then up and up to the little village of Islamlar. There we parked the car and as we got out the restaurant owner waved and called hello to Tom and a welcome to all of us. Tom is very friendly and gregarious and seems to be on a first-name and back-slap basis with everyone in a 50 mile radius of Kas.

We walked along a path and over a little bridge where there were big pools teeming with trout. The stream rushes down the canyon, past the restaurant, and the pools are set off to the side of the stream. Then we went up some stairs to a rooftop dining area with a beautiful view down the canyon, all the way to the sea. The weather was warm and dining al fresco seemed just the thing to do.
Of course we didn't need to look at the menu, the host knew just what we wanted. It was the Turkish version of the "full English". First came our coffee and the big basket of bread along with butter, tahini spread, honey and jellies. Then there was a plate of cheese fried in olive oil and sprinkled with paprika. This may sound questionable, but take our word for it--it is delicious! Then came plate after plate of food--fried eggs, cucumbers, tomatoes, green olives. We ate until we were stuffed, and then our host offered us seconds. Oooooh, so good, but no room in our tummies.

As we were making our way back to the car I bought 3 fresh trout, scooped right out of the stream, to cook for our dinner. Yum.

The route home was a pleasant and interesting ramble through the hills, canyons and meadows. We passed through quiet little villages where the buildings were in various states of disrepair. An ancient woman with 3 teeth, dressed in her traditional baggy pants of black with small printed flowers, stopped to chat with Tom as we were slowly moving our car through her herd of goats. Between the teeth, tongue and back country accent I am not sure how much of the chat was actually understood, but it was nice to meet another friendly Turk.

The Turkish people are very friendly and helpful. Out here in the country few speak any English, but in Kas, and most towns of any size, the shop clerks, ticket takers at points of interest, and many of the locals have some English. There seems to be no animosity towards Americans and usually when they find out we are American the first thing they say is, "Oh, Obama" and when we say we are from California they say, "Ahhh, Schwartzeneger". Everyone smiles at us and shakes our hand.

Our tummies were full the rest of the day, but we did have our fresh trout for dinner that night and it was very good.

Don's Pictures

Kas Friday Farmer Market

Friday is market day in Kas. So on the way to cooking class we stopped to check out the big flea market in the town parking lot. There were many stalls with colorful fresh fruits and vegetables. Other stalls had tools and books, rugs, copper pots and fresh flowers. We just had a short time there before class started, so I bought some fresh spinach and a few other vegetables. I asked for a half kilo, about a pound of spinach, but I guess he didn't understand, and I ended up with a full kilo, so we will be having spinach dishes for the rest of our stay.Don's Pictures

My Life in Ruins--Patara

My Gosh! Patara was the biggest treat and surprise yet. We went to this ruin on another excursion and I was amazed at the site. There were two groups of archeologists working at the site. This was a huge city, as big or bigger than Epheses.

There is a beautiful arch entryway where extensive excavations are underway. The road is dug up because the road was built right over the ruins. We took the detour around the excavation site and on into the extensive ancient city. I could not believe the huge artifact "cemetery" where thousands of pieces have been identified, numbered, catalogued and set out in orderly rows, awaiting reassembly by future archeologists.

We climbed up into the theater, and toured the government building, hiked to the top of the hill to look over on the ocean inlet and river. If this site is ever fully excavated and reassembled it will be another wonderful tourist attraction, as much as Epheses.

After we left the ruins we continued along the road to Patara Plaji (beach). This is a protected area where the turtles come from May to October to lay their eggs. Most of the shoreline here in Turkey is rocky and rough, but this is an 8 mile long white sandy beach.

Don's pictures

My life in Ruins--Letoon

According to legend,the goddess Leto fled here from Mount Olympos to protect her twin babies, Apollo and Artemis, from Zeus's jealous wife, Hera. Local shepherds tried to drive her away, but she was aided by friendly wolves, in whose honour she changed the name of the area to Lycia (after Lykos, Greek for wolf). She then turned the shepherds into frogs. Apollo and Artemis became the ruling deities of Lycia.

Here in Letoon there are three temples in various stages of reassembly. Replacement parts have been cast and are sitting there waiting for a block builder-puzzle assembler to rebuild the temples. The temples are surrounded by ponds and as we walked along the banks of the ponds hundreds of shepherds, the very shepherds that Leto turned into frogs, leapt off the bank and into the water. The males would then hang there, floating near the surface of the water, with brilliant chartreuse stripes gleaming in the sunshine.

The ponds also housed hundreds of turtles who were sunning themselves on the ancient ruins, which had toppled off their pediments and partially submerged in the ponds.

Don's Pictures

Kas'im Restaurant-Geralynn takes a cooking class

One day we were in Kas town and so we stopped again for a meal at Kasim, the best restaurant in Kas. We all ordered the special, which turned out to be fire-roasted meat in a sauce. Yum, yum, yum. They always bring us mezes (appetizers) when we sit down, and those are good too. When we were finished I took off to do some grocery shopping and left Don and Cheryl to get the bill. Well, stupid me! The owner brought complimentary warm bakalva with ice cream, so Don an Cheryl ATE ALL THREE dishes!!!! And then when we met up again they bragged about it!!! How cruel.

But also while they were greedily eating my portion of baklava they mentioned to Murat that I had gone off in search of some ingredients to make a Turkish meal. They told him that I like to cook and that I was going to attempt a Turkish recipe. Murat then mentioned that his restaurant sponsors cooking classes for the British women of the town. The classes are held every Saturday. So, even though I didn't get my baklava, I did get to go to the cooking class.
Chef Murat Usta and daughter

I arrived a bit early for the class and as Don and I waited on a nearby park bench I began to see women arrive and sit at one of the tables in the restarant. I went to join them and the ladies all welcomed me to their table. Our teacher at the class, Figen, soon arrived and set up her cooking area, passed out recipes and welcomed me too. She explained that there had been many previous classes that set the stage for this one and she tried to bring me up to speed with a quick recap. Many of the women in the class know little about cooking, so I felt that I could keep up without a problem.

Figen Kanik cooking class

Today we were doing salads, so Figen began with humus, then prepared a red cabbage and pasta salad, a curried potato salad and she finished up with an interesting fried sausage filled pastry. I copied down all of the recipes and took notes on the techniques she used. After the cooking we got to sit down and eat. Everything was delicious.

In the meanwhile Don and Cheryl went to explore the local Kas ruins. While sitting at the theater Don met a Canadian couple who were of Norwegian descent, and had a nice chat with them. Later, while Don and Cheryl were eating lunch and waiting for me to finish my class, the Canadians came by and Don encouraged them to have lunch at Kasim too. After the class I joined Don and Cheryl and they very graciously ordered another round of warm baklava with ice cream so I could enjoy the experience too. It was delicious.

Don's Pictures

Ucagiz-Simen

We read in a book that the town of Kekova is paradise, so we took a side road to check it out. It turns out that Kekova is on an island just off the coast of Turkey near the town of Ucagiz. When we got near the town we were told that the road was closed and we couldn't drive into the town, so we parked up the hill and walked down a few blocks. Everything seemed to be in order, so Don went back and drove the car closer to the village.

We strolled down the narrow roads of the village to the harbor. As we did our walk we were approached by several fellows who offered to take us out on their boat, for a price, of course, to see the sunken city. We passed on the boat ride because we felt totally ruined (as in we have now seen enough ruins to last us several years). The harbor is lovely and would be a great place to moor a boat. It is a sleepy, sunny, peaceful little village. The school kids played around the plaza and some of them actually marched down the pier and took a boat across to Kekova island, where, presumably, they live.

Don's Pictures

My Life in Ruins--Myra

Myra was a surprise ruin for me. We went off on another day trip and found this amazing place. There were hundreds of house tombs carved into the cliffside and a beautiful theater with many carvings of faces of the performers or orators.

Don's Pictures

Kale Boat Builders

Along the coast we took a right turn off the main highway and found a dry dock full of boats being refurbished and built. Don and Cheryl jumped out of the car and took a lot of photos.

Don's Pictures

My Life in Ruins--Xanthos

After our visit to Tlos we went on to Xanthos, a city 8000 years old. The history of a famous battle against the invading Persians is recorded by Herodotus. The Xanthians fought until it was clear that they would lose, and then they gathered all of their possessions, wives and children into a central area and burned them. Next the brave men fought until the last man was dead. Only then was Xanthos forfeited to the Persians. The victors entered the city to find nothing to loot and pillage, no women to rape. It was a hollow victory, indeed.
There are many remains, including the Greek section on the north and the Roman section on the south. The Roman section includes a smooth, long road which was installs thousands of years ago and till remains smooth and wide to enter the city. The standard theater, sarcophogi and acropolis remain as well.

Don's Pictures

My Life in Ruins--Tlos

Now that we are all settled in and comfy in our new home we decided to explore a bit. Taking a cue from the excellent information book provided by Val and Tom, our hosts, we decide to travel north to some interesting ruins. I am just astounded at the ruins in the area. Every turn offers new ancient ruins from Greek and Roman times. We walk over these ancient stone creations thinking about the engineering and labor that went into constructing the walls, theaters, homes. Just amazing! First we visited Tlos, and ancient city estimated to be at least 4000 years old. We saw many sarcophogi and house tombs carved into the hillsides. Of course there was a very intact theater, and also an acropolis, bath house, wall, temple, and a church from later times.

Don's Pictures

On our own in Kas

March 20 the tour bus left for Istanbul without us. Cheryl, Don and I spent the morning in Ankara before catching our flight to Istanbul and on to Dalaman, where our friend, Tom Austen would pick us up.

In the morning we went down to breakfast and to say goodbye to our friends and Salih. After they all got on the bus and went off Don and I walked around the town looking for the archeology museum. We had directions, but they turned out to be wrong, and we ended up at another museum about Ataturk. The Republic Museum-Grand National Assembly. We rented the headsets and it was pretty interesting. Cheryl decided to skip the walk because we had walked her pretty hard the night before.

We took a taxi to the airport and got our flight with no problems and the connection went fine too. Tom met us at the airport and we had a fast ride along the dark coast road to Kas. Val was waiting at the house to welcome us and she showed us around the house and scuttled Tom off to their friend's house where they will be staying while we are here.

The house is very comfortable, with incredible views of the Mediterranean Sea and the village of Kas. We are actually in a settlement called Gokseki, just a few kilometers from Kas. We have two bedrooms with queen beds. Each room has that fabulous view. There is a bathroom on each floor. The kitchen is well-equipped, with a large refrigerator and plenty of cooking equipment and dishware. There is a huge library of dvds and books for our use as well.

All three of us were pretty tired and we snacked for dinner and then crashed. In the morning we rose to a sunny, beautiful day and after making some coffee we sat on the terrace and enjoyed the beautiful Mediterranean view. Later that morning Tom and Val came by and we all went into town to get the rental car, get a tour of the town and pick up a few groceries.
Kas is a charming town with a friendly atmosphere. It has a small town feeling, but it is a town that has everything we need. Tom and Val took us out for a meal at their favorite restaurant, Kasim, and introduced us to the owner. We had a delicious stuffed pizza-type entree and salad. Cheryl and I split one and it was so big we couldn't eat it all. It was delicious though, and so we took the leftovers home for another day.

After lunch Tom and Don got the rental car. Tom told the agent he would bring the money later that day and the agent told him, no worries, don't make a special trip, just bring it by next time you are in town. Everyone in this town seems to know Tom and Val and are willing to give them the shirt off their back, should it be requested.

Cheryl and I did some shopping. I had been studying Val's cookbooks and had selected a few recipes from the Turkish cookbooks that I wanted to try. So, I had a big shopping list. But I couldn't find some of the items, so maybe I will try a different store next time.

After shopping we went home for a rest and to read up on the area. Mostly I just like to sit on the terrace and enjoy the beautiful view.

Don's pictures of Kas, Turkey

Rugs Ortahisar Kasabasi Urgup

Don's Pictures

While we were in Cappedocia we stopped at a rug factory. There the ancient weaving techniques were demonstrated by three local women sitting on pillows, working their looms. All of the rugs are hand woven and the larger, finer ones take months to complete. We saw the woolen rugs being woven on big looms, and then we saw the beautiful silk rugs, on small looms. The silk rugs are much finer weave and much smaller because they are usually for display, not for putting on the floor. The patterns are very intricate and just beautiful.
After the weaving demonstration we were lead into a large showroom where we sat on benches as beverages were served. Then, as I sipped my tea, the host began to talk about his carpets. He had three assistants and as a point was made the assistants, in concert, would dramatically roll out carpets on the showroom floor. Soon we had hundreds of carpets piled up, one atop another. Then we had the opportunity to purchase carpets at a special discount, just for us.

I looked casually at a few of the carpets which were strewn around the floor, and soon I had a clerk striking up a conversation--what type of carpet did I like, what pattern, what color. He tried hard to find something for me, and rolled out 30 more carpets, occasionally rushing to another room to get a special carpet that would be just the thing. Finally I went in search of Don and Cheryl, my helper tagging along. Cheryl was quite interested in getting a hall runner, so I introduced my friend to her and they were off on another carpet rolling experience.

After many more unrollings of carpets Cheryl found something she liked. We got Salih over to negotiate price for her and soon a deal was made. A certificate of authenticity with photo of the carpet was produced, the bill of sale prepared and signed and then Cheryl signed the back of the carpet so that she will be sure she received the carpet she paid for. The company will ship it to Ione and it should be there by the time she gets home.

Pottery Firca, Goreme TR

After our tour of the underground city in Cappedocia we had the chance to visit a pottery shop. We walked under an archway and into a room dug out of the tufa cliff, similar to the cave dwellings we had been visiting. There we found a potter's wheel and a potter sitting next to a heap of clay.

The host began to explain the process as the potter began to turn his wheel by spinning it with his foot. The wheel turned slowly at first, and then faster and faster as his foot continued to "pedal" the spinning disc around and around. A wad of red clay became a small, squat vase, and then suddenly it elongated into a graceful, curved urn. A lip miraculously appeared and the neck got narrower and the bowl fatter. It all happens like magic as the potter simultaneously spins the wheel with his feet and molds the piece with his hands. What coordination! A think thread is used to slice the base of the piece off of the wheel and then it is placed on a tray and after drying for a few days it will be painted and fired.

We figured that was the show, but next we were led through a rock tunnel and suddenly we were in a huge room full of brightly and ornately painted bowls, urns, jugs, platters, everyday items and works of art. The showroom was huge and completely hidden, carved into the cliff. That was the everyday showroom, and next we were led to the art quality showroom where we saw artists painting intricate patterns on pieces of every shape and size. This is very tedious, detailed work and requires exceptional fine motor skills.

After the demonstrations we had a chance to walk around the showrooms and look at the beautiful creations.
Don's pictures

Whirling Dervishes

That evening we went to see the Whirling Dervish rite at an ancient caravanserai. A caravansarai is a big building where the caravans on the Spice Route would set up their wares for sale and spend the night. There is a big open air area and also an enclosed area in case of rain or snow. We all filed in and sat aside a small stage.

The lights were dimmed and a mysterious, reverent and sacred aura filled the room. We all held our breath as the musicians entered, one at a time, bowing to the audience. Each musician took his place at one side of the stage and soon sinuous music wafted around the dimmed room. Then the Dervish leader solemnly entered the stage area, slowly, step by step, and bowed to the watchers and musicians. Next each Dervish, dressed in a full-skirted white gown topped by a black coat, and wearing an odd cone-shaped brown hat, entered. First one Dervish entered, slowly to the music, step by step, taking off his black coat, bowing to the leader and taking his place at one side of the stage. Then the next, and the next, until all five were on stage. In concert the Dervishes rose from their pillowed seats and bowed to their leader. Then the leader began to recite the principals of the sect.

As he finished his presentation first one Dervish began to spin and move around the perimeter of the stage, then the next, and the next, until all five were spinning, white gowns floating out from their legs, one hand lifted up to heaven and the other held palm-down to earth. This position is symbolic of the messages of God moving through the Dervish to humankind.

The Dervishes spun and spun, each one in a corner and one in the center. Then, after about 15 minutes, they began to rotate around the stage, still spinning, to the next corner. Their spinning was very smooth, almost as if they were floating. Some of the Dervishes had their eyes closed and some had their eyes open, but seemed to be in a trance. I am not sure that they were seeing anything. They had their rotation process well-choreographed and they moved from corner to corner and into the center without a glitch. The leader continued his recitation of the beliefs of the sect as the Dervishes spun and spun, occasionally floating on to a new corner or the center position. This went on for an hour and none of the Dervishes lost their balance or even seemed to be dizzy. As each Dervish slowed and stopped spinning and returned to his place at the side of the stage the leader recited from the Koran and then said a prayer for the peace of the souls of the Prophets and all believers. The hour-long process went by so fast. It was quite interesting to watch. I think we all felt a little disoriented and dizzy ourselves as we left the caravansarai and got back on the bus.

Don's pictures

Cappedocia & Balloon Flight

The next morning we had an opportunity to go to the Mevlana Museum. We paid and went on the organized tour, but we should have just done it ourselves.

The Mevlana Museum is about the rite of the Whirling Dervishes. The rite consists of readings and special music and a group of dervishes who spin around in a kind of trance. The format of the spinning represents their ties to both heaven and earth and the spinning ritual takes the dervishes through a demonstration of faith and love.

At the museum we learned about how applicants are selected into the order. They go to the center and apply, then they pray in a small side room while the Dervish clan debates the worthiness of the applicant. The applicant must demonstrate specific abilities to be accepted. As the applicant prays their shoes rest in a niche beneath the praying platform. If the applicant is accepted to the order their shoes are turned toes out. If not accepted the shoes are turned toes in.

The museum displayed many beautiful examples of caligraphy and included the sarcophogi of many famous dervishes. Link to our pictures of the museum.

After the museum we boarded our bus and headed out for Cappedocia. It was a beautiful day and the scenery on the drive was very pretty, with blue sky, green fields and trees, salt lakes and snowy mountain peaks along the way. After awhile we began to see caves in the hillsides, and eventually many cave dwellings carved into the soft tufa cliffs. We were entering the land of troglodytes.As we moved farther into Cappedocia we began to see interesting formations, similar to the hoodoos in Bryce Canyon. These hoodoos are called Fairy Chimneys here in Turkey and they are quite a bit taller than the thin ones in Bryce--up to 200 feet high. They are capped with a "hat" that withstands the effects of rain and protects the tall column that rises up from the earth.

Soon we pulled into an area called the Kamaliki where we visited the underground city. This is a rabbit warren of cave dwellings that are all interconnected and. at one time, housed 8000 people. We carefully picked our way down the narrow passageways from room to room, going deeper and deeper into the cliff. We saw how storage bins were cared out of the sides and a church. When the city needed protection from invaders they would roll big round discs of stone in front of the openings. It was an interesting tour, but I am afraid I might get claustrophobic living 8 stories down into the cliff. Don's Pictures

After the visit to the underground city we continued on our bus ride. As we neared Neveshir Salih got a telephone call from the hot air balloon company. They proposed that our group take their balloon ride that afternoon rather than wait until the morning. So Don and Cheryl and several others were dropped off and the rest of us went on to the hotel. When the ballooners returned they were raving about their experience. The weather was sunny, blue and beautiful. The balloons took them right down into the canyons of the Goreme Open Air Museum, where they floated among the numerous cave dwellings and rock formations. They ballooned for an hour and then had a champagne toast before returning to the hotel for dinner. None of the ballooners could stop raving about their experience.



I have 10 mins of nice video of the balloon flight. http://youtu.be/jy4l0JgMK0M

Don's balloon pictures

In the morning we woke up and looked out the window at a snowy fairyland. Overnight the weather had changed and big, fluffy snowflakes were drifting down from the sky. After breakfast we bundled up in every piece of clothing we brought and then we all got on the bus and off we went through the snow to the Goreme Park to see the rock formations and caves for ourselves.

The Goreme Park is a protected area now. In a spectacular landscape, entirely sculpted by erosion, the Göreme valley and its surroundings contain rock-hewn sanctuaries that provide unique evidence of Byzantine art in the post-Iconoclastic period. Dwellings, troglodyte villages and underground towns – the remains of a traditional human habitat dating back to the 4th century – can also be seen there. This settlement was a monestary and convent for early Christians. The many cave churches and frescoes attest to the use of the region.

Don's pictures of Goreme Open Air Museum

Alison Gardner ballon pictures

PLACES TO VISIT IN CAPPADOCIA