Turkey2010

Last Day in Kas

2010-03-29T21:44:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-28T13:19:00.001-07:00

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

2010-03-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-25T10:37:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-23T09:35:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-23T09:10:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-22T08:47:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-21T12:27:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-18T23:18:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-18T23:04:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

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 passagew ays 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 h ot 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. Tried to post it on youtude but the censorship in Turkey I can't sign up for YouTube. So look for it in May when I get home.

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

Ataturk

2010-03-17T12:03:00.000-07:00

Friday, March 19 we traveled on to Ankara. There

we visited the great monument to the "Father of Turkey", Ataturk.

Ataturk had a humble beginning as a farm boy in the countryside. He was born Mustafa Kemal and lived a humble life. He became a great military leader as a man and lead several very successful campaigns. He became active in the revolution in the 1920s and when the Sultan skulked out of Istanbul Mustafa Kemal was elected president.
Many changes and reforms were implemented by the new president. He moved the capital from Istanbul to Ankara, decided that the western style alphabet would be used, as well as the western calendar. He dictated that all people would adopt last names and he was given Ataturk as his last name. Ataturk means "Father of Turkey". The fez was banned and men were instructed to wear western style hats. Modern European attire was required and religion-based attire was discouraged. Ataturk declared Turkey to be a secular state and stated that religion and the law of the nation would be separate.The monument to Ataturk is very large. It contains a museum tracing Ataturk's life and outlining his social policies and changes, as well as his military accomplishments. I was quite impressed by some of the things he said. He was very forward thinking.

The highest part of the monument is an open-air rom which houses the tomb of Ataturk. Everything is guarded by solemn young men in uniform, rifles in hand.I went to the Ataturk monument with a low opinion of Ataturk as a womanizing drunkard. I came away with a new respect for a man who implemented major social changes in a short time with little turmoil. He may not have walked the walk, but he sure did talk the talk. I like the values he promulgated.

Don's pictures

Konya

2010-03-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

We had a long drive from the steaming pools of Pamukkale to Konya. We finally pulled into our hotel, the Ozkaymak Hotel, and settled into our tiny room.

Once we got settled Cheryl, Don and I walked across the street to the huge shopping mall. Don was excited because he had spotted a Citibank ATM there, so we walked to that end of the mall first. We have been looking for the many Citibanks that are supposed to be in Turkey since we arrived, frustrating Cheryl to no end with our continual marches around the city searching for the holy grail, oops, the fabled Citibanks. We authoritatively marched u to the Citbank ATM, card in hand, ready to get money, only to find the message that the ATM was out of order. Foiled again!

So, we gave up on the money idea and went into the mall and strolled from one end to the other and back, admiring the housewares, clothing, and appliances for sale. The clothing in the shops is very nice, high quality stuff. The women's clothing is very stylish and cute. As we passed the Laura Shop (a Turkish version of Frederick's of Hollywood) we at last found out what they wear under all of that baggy black clothing. OooooLaLa! We strolled around for about 45 minutes and then returned to our hotel for dinner.

When we entered the dining room we looked around and noticed many of our group were getting up and putting on coats to leave. Boy, they finished dinner really early, we thought. Then we got our plates and started out to check out the buffet. Well, the Japanese group had beat us to the punch. Most of the chafers of hot food were scraped out and empty, just a few grains of rice or a soggy green pepper left. We picked up a few salad items and found a table to wait for food. Well, the food never came. The hotel kitchen staff stood and looked at us with glassy-eyed stares and we tried again and again to find something to eat. Finally some bland lamb stew came out, but the rice was never replenished and most of the rest of the food was sparse. Many of our group went across the street to Burger King, including Salih, our guide.

So, the Ozmaykak Hotel is not recommended by us. The rooms are very small and the food is not up to par.

The next day we jumped on the bus and headed out for Cappadocia

Pamukkale

2010-03-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

The next day we had a long ride to Pamukkule, where we took a tour of the steaming ponds which dripped calcium laden water over the ridges of the hills, forming white calcium covered hills bespeckled with aqua blue ponds. This is a world heritage site and has been carefully fostered and preserved. Adjoining the hot springs area is a very large ancient ruin of Heiropolis. There is much restoration work to do here, but we enjoyed a stroll along the ancient cobbled streets, through the very large settlement and huge cemetery.

After touring Heiropolis we went on to our nearby hotel. There Cheryl and I put on our bathing suits and shower caps and enjoyed the hot pool, which I estimate was about 101 or 102 degrees. When I got too hot I moved into the cool pool, which was about 85. We were indoors, but I could raise a flap and, still in the same pool, could move to the outdoor area. As I moved out into the outdoor part of the pool I was behind a waterfall which was descending from the other large outdoor pools which terraced down the hillside. The calcium in the water had formed many stalactites, which hung down from the upper pool, creating an interesting effect.

After our hot soak and a shower we all went to dinner, which was a very nice buffet. Then it was back to the room and I nodded off at about 9pm as Don worked on his photos.

The following day we had another long drive through the valleys between two snow-capped mountain ranges. We finished up in Konya, a large, modern city of many Easter Egg colored multi-story appartment buildings.

More pictures of Pamukkule.

Ephesus and White Faces

2010-03-14T10:49:00.000-07:00

After a comfortable night of sleep in Kusadasi we met with Cheryl and our Argentinian friends, Mirta and Henry for breakfast. Breakfast was the standard fare of cold cuts, scrambled and hard boiled eggs, bread, fruit, cereal and yogurt. Cheryl, Don and I agreed to skip the offered tour of Epheses and do it on our own. Our friends, Mirta and Enri Herrera decided to join us in our rebellious undertaking. We hired a cab and worked out a deal with him to take us to Epheses, with a stop at the house of Virgin Mary on the way. It was a simple drive from the hotel to the historic sites and our cab driver took us to Mary's house first, with the agreement to meet us at the end of the tour.

The explanation of why Mary lived here in Turkey is this: after the crucifixion of Jesus Christians were being persecuted and killed, especially the followers who were closest to Jesus. As he was dying on the cross Jesus said to his disciple, John, "My mother is your mother now. You must care for her as I would." So John wanted to protect Mary and he removed her to Epheses. This is where Mary lived out the rest of her life.

The house is a simple, one-room stone cottage high on a hill, nestled under some trees. There is a shrine to Mary inside the cottage and many people come here to pray to her and leave their prayers written on a scrap of paper or cloth, which they tie to a wall along the path to the cottage.

The house was discovered when and elderly German nun had a vision of the site near Epheses and described the hillside and the cottage in perfect detail. She had never been out of Germany, so she had never seen this site. A French priest went searching for the site and found the cottage. To support this idea, descendants of the Ephesians revered this site and worshiped there.

On the bus our guide explained that in the Muslim religion Jesus is considered a prophet and is revered, as is his mother Mary. So Muslims, as well as Christians, make pilgrimages to this place.

After visiting Mary's house we met our cab driver and proceeded on to the very large and impressive ruins at Ephesus. There we rented headsets and followed along the main street of the ancient city as we learned about the structures and life in the first century.

Epheses is a very well preserved archeological site. The city was a major trading hub before the time of Christ. It was an important center for the religious cult that worshiped Cybele, the goddess of plenty, who is represented in statue form as a woman with 100 breasts (plenty). Later, as the Greeks became more involved in this region, the deity became Artemis, goddess of hunting. The region was bandied back and forth between the Persians and the Greeks over many centuries, but continued to be a prosperous trading city. When Alexander the Great stopped in he was quite impressed with the new building that was going on and offered to pay the cost to finish the temple if the town would dedicate it to him. The townspeople tactfully responded that it wouldn't be fitting for one god to pay for a temple to another god, and they went on building their temple to Artemis.
There were many buildings in various stages of reconstruction or deconstruction. Some of the more memorable were the public toilet, which boasted 46 seats and was described as a place of public meetings and discussions. Another, of course, was the brothel, with the typical footprint and heart carved into the stone street to show the way. Diana's Temple was magnificent as well.
While we were strolling through the city we noticed a group of teenagers, giggling and busy, also visiting the site. Some of the girls had painted their faces white, with bright red lipstick and heavy black eyeliner. We kept meeting up with them and they were flirting with Don and got him to take their photo.By the time we arrived at the library they were all on the steps posing for a group photo, so Don got silly and ran and got into their group. They thought this was very funny and several of the students and chaperones began to chat with him. In the meanwhile I had a group of my own clustered around, all asking me questions. Of course I had a few questions for them--first of all why the white faces. Well, it turns out they were a photography class and their assignment was to take pictures of faces, so some of them made up their faces for the project. They were getting ready for a show of their work. They spoke good English and were full of questions about me and our trip and any number of topics, so we chatted for about 15 minutes. Then I gave them all cards and told them to check out the website to see some of Don's photos of their group.

Later, as we moved through the city, we arrived at the theater, a huge stone odeon which could seat 20000. The school kids were there putting on some kind of act, which they had obviously rehearsed. We could not understand what it was about, but they did the same structured presentation several times over before we left.

We finished up our visit and found the site and city very impressive. It is so amazing to think that a busy population lived out their lives here 2000 years ago.

Link to more pictures of Ephesus.

Pergamum

2010-03-13T23:04:00.000-08:00

En route from Canakkale to Kusadasi we took a side road and climbed up and up a mountainside and parked with one tire dangling off a cliff. This is Pergamum where we strolled along the ridge of the mountain and saw the beautiful acropolis with tall white columns and a very large, steep theater. I wanted to go all the way down to the stage, but it was so steep and far down there I left it to Kelly, our pretty young traveling companion with long beautiful red hair blowing in the breeze. I hoped that she would sing a song or give a speech so we could test the acoustics, but no joy there.

For lunch we stopped at the Saglam Restaurant. Our guide, Salih, highly recommended the spicy lamb kebap, so we decided to give it a try. We also shared a Turkish "pizza". Both dishes were flavorful and delicious. After lunch the proprietor came on our bus and sang us some Turkish songs. One was a love song and the other was a welcoming song. He had a very nice voice and everyone enjoyed the stop.

More pictures of Pergamum

Ferry across the Dardanelles and visit to Troy

2010-03-12T20:06:00.000-08:00

Friday, March 12, 2010
Today we left our Istanbul hotel and took the bus along the Sea of Marmara to Gallipoli, where we crossed the Dardanelles and went on to the site of Troy.

The scenery along our route was interesting. We see many areas where new apartments are built and our guide explained that the land is owned by the government and a developer can apply for the permission to build there, but must provide replacement housing for anyone who has squatted on the government land. The developer still makes money by building many units to sell, even though he must provide free homes to the squatters.

Another interesting building technique we noticed was that many homes are built with the rebar for another floor sticking out of the roof. The idea is that when the kids grow up and marry the next floor will be built for the newlyweds to occupy.

Turkey is a very green agricultural country. We passed through miles of rice paddies along our route. As we neared Gallipoli we began to see concrete bunkers embedded in the hillsides. They were much smaller that the ones we saw in Normandy, but there seemed to be in very good condition, not graffiti or damage that we could see.

We stopped in Gallipoli, the site of the famous WWI battle to secure a sea lane to Russia. There we took a ferry across the Dardanelles and on to the site of the famous city of Troy.

There are many ruins partially excavated here. The exploration was the result of the fascination of a German businessman, Heinrich Schleimann, who desperately wanted to find the site of the legendary city. After much study and evaluation he determined that this site is it. Using the description of the two rivers and the mouth of the Dardanelles he began excavating here in the 1860s. He discovered 7 cities built at this site.
There is a huge wooden horse there for kids to climb up and peek out of, just like the soldiers, but it doesn't look anything like I imagine it should.

After the visit we continued by bus to Canakkale where we will spend the night.

MORE PICTURES OF DARDANELLES TO TROY

Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia

2010-03-11T19:01:00.000-08:00

As we departed the Palace grounds I was in sensory overload. I have never seen such a display of riches, not in the Smithsonian, the palaces of Spain, France or England. Exiting the palace gate, off to my right was the enormous Blue Mosque and to the left was the Haigia Sophia. So much to see.

We crossed the courtyard and approached the impressive Blue Mosque which is comprised of the huge main dome, surrounded by numerous smaller domes which ripple down around the main dome like a waterfall. There are six thin minarets which stick up above the domes, pointing to God, Heaven, and the sky.
We went around the side of the Mosque to the area where we could remove our shoes and place them in bags to carry while we were in the mosque. Cheryl and I covered our heads out of respect. But there were people worshiping there and we felt it was the right thing to do.
The Blue Mosque was commissioned to be built by Sultan Ahmet I in the 1600s. It took 7 years to build. The six minarets were quite the scandal in the day, as it rivaled the famous Mosque in Mecca and it seemed to be pretentious on the part of the Sultan to compete. The number of minarets was actually a misunderstanding between the Sultan and his architect, as the Sultan told him he wanted the minarets to be gold, but the architect thought he said he wanted 6. I guess the words sound similar. So, to solve the problem of perceived competition with Mecca, the Sultan sent his guy to Mecca to build an additional minaret there.

The interior of the Mosque is very lovely. The domes are lined with 20000 beautiful blue tiles fired with flower, tree and geometric designs. The overall effect of the grand domes lined with the delicately decorated tiles in shades of blue is mystical. Huge, but ugly, chandeliers hang down to light the prayer rugs.
After leaving the mosque we walked across the courtyard to the Haghia Sophia, the grand Byzantine basilica built in 360. This building was groundbreaking architecture for its time and was the largest cathedral in the world for 1000 years.

Some interesting things about this building are that it has served as a Christian church as well as a mosque. There is a large painting of Mary and the infant Jesus in the eastern dome. There are also several interesting relics and artifacts on display at this museum. In one corner there was a huge polished marble ball, about 8 feet in diameter. As Don and I watched a guide discuss this sculpture with his tour group he would have the girls go up and rub the ball. Then the guide would go over to the guy half of the couple and whisper something in his ear which resulted a dramatic reaction from the boyfriend, husband or whoever got the whisper. What could the guide be telling him?? Don had fun speculating--now that she touched this ball she will be inspired to touch yours tonight? Many possible messages were considered as we wondered what the secret really was. With that on our minds it was time to go.

After so much walking and viewing we were pretty tired, so we decided to catch the light rail for a ride around town. The Tram was packed as we were getting into rush hour, but with some patience and persistence we were able to secure the primo front seat and gratefully sat down and rode to the end of the line. The tram took us across the river and through many shopping sections. At the end we didn't even get off, we just stayed on and rode the train back to the other side of the river, getting off at the Grand Bazaar.
The Grand Bazaar is another amazing sensory overload experience. This huge shopping "mall" boasts 1200 shops and including 58 streets. It has been in use since 1461. The shops are segregated, with each type of product in a designated area of the Bazaar. We entered the rug section and were immediately accosted by vendors trying to get us to examine their wares. Rugs, leather products, lamps, t-shirts, jewelry, pottery. Lots to look at and deals to be made, but I was just too tired.

We called up Trixie, our faithful gps, and had her take us back to the hotel for a much deserved rest and dinner.

Topkapi Palace

2010-03-11T18:01:00.000-08:00

5:30am, the melodic call to prayer wafted through our window as we prepared for our first day of exploration and getting to know Turkey. We met Cheryl for breakfast and planned out our day--The Blue Mosque, Aya Sofia, Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace--a very full day.

We discussed transportation to the various sites, and Cheryl explained that most of them were very close to each other. We still didn't have any money, so we started off looking for a bank, still trying to find a Citibank or BNP where we could get cash without a fee. After returning to the BNP we noticed yesterday and finding that it is just a business office, we decided to stop wasting time and borrowed some money from Cheryl. Being who I am I proposed that we walk the mile to the area the palace and mosque are located. Although I thought Don would resist, he was a good sport and off we went marching through the crowded streets on the treacherous sidewalks, still keeping our eyes open for a Citibank.

When we reached the big plaza Cheryl pointed out the various points of interest. We went into the Topkapi Palace first and toured the Harem rooms, the throne room, and the highlight for me, the Treasury. We rented headsets with explanations in English, which I feel really added a lot to the visit.

The Harem rooms were very beautiful, with colorful tiles, beautifully crafted with designs of flowers,trees, geometric designs in beautiful aqua, blue and green colors.

In the Treasury we saw beautiful royal garments made of sumptuous, colorful silks, richly embroidered. One outfit, golden pantaloons and jacket, was enormous. The garments were displayed laying out on a surface, so it was hard to grasp how they may have been worn, because they were so large. The jacket was at least 5 feet wide, with sleeves that hung well below the hem, probably 8 feet long. How were these things worn? Were the sleeves pushed up, or was there a slit in the back of the sleeve, so the hand could come out and 4 feet of sleeve hang down? The pantaloons were also very large, at least 5 feet long, with a waistband and cuffs that would fit tightly around the ankles. If this outfit was worn by someone, he had to be a very large guy. I wished they would have had some of the clothing displayed on mannequins so we could get a better idea of what they might look like.

The next room of the treasury displayed various swords, golden with jewel encrusted hilts, and elaborate scabbards, fancy casques and boxes, again made of precious metals and adorned with enormous gems--brilliant red rubies and deep green emeralds, diamonds and turquoise. There were beatidul, jeweled Koran covers, prayer beads and golden armor, encrusted with colorful gems, candalabras, flasks, and serving pots and platters. All items were made of precious metals and elaborately adorned with colorful jewels.

The third room was the best though. As we moved around the displays each item we saw was more amazing than the one before. My jaw dropped as I examined the beautiful dagger with three egg-sized brilliant green emeralds adorning the handle. I have never seen such huge jewels. Then I turned the corner and was stunned by the enormous, glittering Spoonmaker's Diamond, 86 carats, surrounded by 100 1 carat diamonds. The origin of this stone is lost in folklore, but the story that is often associated with the piece is this, taken from the writeup at http://www.ee.bilkent.edu.tr/~history/Ext/Spoondia.htm:

"A poor fisherman in Istanbul near Yenikapi was wandering idly, empty-handed along the shore when he found a shiny stone among the litter, which he turned over one over not knowing what it was. After carrying it about in his pocket for a few days, he stopped by the jewelers Market, showing it to the first jeweler he encountered. The jeweler took a casual glance at the stone and appeared disinterested, saying "It's a piece of glass, take it away if you like, or if you like I'll give you three spoons. You brought it all the way here, at least let it be worth your trouble." What was the poor fisherman to do with this piece of glass? What's more the jeweler had felt sorry for him and was giving three spoons. He said okay and took the spoons, leaving in their place an enormous treasure. It is for this reason they say that the diamond's name became the "Spoonmaker's Diamond"

The rest of the displays in the room were beautiful and rich--gem-encrusted arrow shafts and quivers, armor, chests and daggers. Other remarkable pieces included a huge emerald pendant, 55 centimeters long, and the bejeweled royal throne. To see some photos and read more about this amazing collection go to http://www.ee.bilkent.edu.tr/~history/topkapi3.html

After leaving the treasury we visited the display of Sacred Relics. There were the standard hairs, teeth and bones. The most interesting relic is a casting of a footprint made by the prophet Mohammed.

The Topkapi Palace is not to be missed, especially the Treasury.

Don's pictures of Topkapi Palace.

Sunnyvale to Istanbul

2010-03-10T20:32:00.000-08:00

March 9th we jumped up at 2:30am to get ready for our 2010 adventure. The airport shuttle picked us up at 3:30am to go to SFO to catch our 6am flight. All went well with the trip to the airport and checking in. Our Delta flight took off as scheduled and we had a nice trip to JFK. Our flight was only about 20% full, so we had lots of room. The airplane was one of those nice ones that have the individual screens so we were able to select the movies we wanted to see and when we wanted to see them. I watched The Blind Side, which was good; a real tear-jerker. I also watched The Informant which was very interesting, but I fell asleep in the middle and missed some of the important parts, so I will plan to watch it again sometime. At the end I watched some of Michael Jackson, This Is It.

We had plenty of time to make it to our connecting flight at JFK. The flight was very full and we had a cranky toddler across the aisle, so sleeping was hit and miss, depending on when the baby was screaming. We got a late start because some unmatched baggage had to be located and removed from the plane. It was a very long flight, but we made it ok and our Gate1 contact was waiting for us after we went through the very slow passport control.
As we pulled up to the Mosaic Hotel, there was Cheryl, just returning from one of her adventurous outings. So we talked a bit and then went to our room to drop our luggage and Cheryl took us out exploring to visit some mosques and to look for a bank so we could get some money. We saw the huge Sulemaniye Mosque, but sadly the interior was closed for renovations. After a good hike around town, through the shopping area, up and down irregular and dangerous tiled sidewalks we returned to our hotel for a shower and rest before orientation meeting and dinner.

At the orientation meeting we met Salih, our guide, who is well seasoned and pragmatic about his country and job. He gave us a brief talk about the travel plans and rules and we went upstairs to dinner.
Dinner was a buffet of delicious Turkish salads and hot dishes, with sweet, honeyed desserts. I especially enjoyed the bulgar wheat salad. It was nicely seasoned and looked very interesting. Don and I both took away an orange and a piece of baklava to enjoy later.
I slept pretty well, waking at 1:30 and 4:30 before getting up to sort through my knapsack to get ready for our explorations today. Cheryl will take us to the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar. I am going to look for some nice leather luggage tags, and hopefully find some hairspray and a bottle of wine.
The weather is chilly and very windy so gloves and jackets and ear covers are on the dress plan for today.