I'll Get There Eventually

What's another 12-hour overnight bus ride with Ambien? Off to Istanbul for my last 5 nights in Europe.

I arrived early and shockingly successfully navigated the tram and maze of streets in Sultanahmet to find my hostel, so I had time to kill before check-in.

Since I haven't met a palace I didn't like, I decided stop #1 should be the Topkapi Palace. I'd get to the Blue Mosque later.

The money pit of a palace (the entry fee was expensive and then you had to pay more to get in the Harem and for the audio guide, and then for the Harem audio guide!) was actually pretty spectacular. Construction on the Palace started in 1453 by Mehmet the Conqueror and subsequent sultans lived here into the 19th century.

The Palace is organized into 4 courtyards, each further restricting access until the final interior courtyard where only the sultan's family was permitted (and now me and all the Asian tourists).

My favorite parts were the Treasury (like Moscow, I enjoy seeing all the bling) and the Harem. This may not be news to anyone else, but I was interested to learn that the ladies of the Harem had to be foreigners since Islam forbade enslaving Muslims. The sultan was allowed four wives and as many concubines as he could support.

Throughout all the buildings the tile work was stunning- if I were a decorator I would not have mixed so many patterns, but it totally worked!!

That evening I had the pleasure of meeting Gokturk (my new sailing friend for those of you that don't recall Turkey Pt. 1) for a lovely seafood meal overlooking the Bosphorus in a local neighborhood. He drove me around and showed me all the hot spots where locals hang, plus a mall that felt just like home.

I had big plans for the next day in Beyoglu (formerly known as the European quarter)--- get my hair done and by tickets to see U2 (their first concert in Turkey, and maybe their last?). Since I couldn't spend all day on nonsense I first visited the newish Istanbul Modern which I loved. I seriously think it is my favorite contemporary art museum of the trip.

Would you believe that Turkey's Ticketmaster equivalent still has you wait in line for hours for tickets? Sad, but true! Since the World Basketball Championships were going on at the same time the line was over 3 hours wait. I opted to get my hair and eyebrows done (all for the bargain price of $65!!!!!!!!!!) and join when the wait was only half that long- ugh!

After that exhausting day I wasn't up for a big night out so I just grabbed two kebabs from the meticulous street vendor (I didn't realize I was being so piggy ordering 2 until after I saw them made) and watched some fireworks from the roof deck while talking to Laura. The rest of Istanbul was breaking their Ramadan fast on the lawn outside the Blue Mosque.

Two days down and still no Blue Mosque- today was the day since I had to walk by it 18 times a day- damn, it is closed for some special visit from some special person. Oh well, there are still days ahead of me!

Along with everyone else due to the rain, I opted for the Haghia Sophia, the one thing in Istanbul I remember learning about in grammar school (but don't really remember why- think maybe religion class?). Originally built by Emperor Justinian as a church in 537, it was converted to a mosque in 1453 after the Ottoman conquest. Now that it is a museum it is an odd mix of Christianity and Islam, with mosaics of Jesus and 19th century medallions inscribed with Arabic letters. The most impressive part though is the sheer size of the dome built with special bricks that make it appear as if it hovers unsupported.

The most amusing part? They have a wall of foreign dignitaries that have visited the museum. Apparently there have been new, better visitors (like Obama and the Pope) so they put stickers over people that had been on the plaque. I really want to know who was downgraded! Can you imagine the meeting where they discussed who was expendable? ;-)

I had planned to see a few other sites, but the friendliness of the Turkish men was getting really old. Sure, it was charming for the first couple of days in the small towns, but in Istanbul it was close to downright harassment. I had enough!!!!

I only surfaced again from the hostel to see the Whirling Dervishes. It is pretty mesmerizing to watch the men spin so gracefully for 45 minutes and envisioning me tripping over my own feet if I attempted even one twirl.

The next day I felt better about venturing out in the company of two men from the hostel heading to the famous Spice Market, or Egyptian Market (no one bothers the men, so unfair). The market has been around since 1660 selling spices, nuts, olive oil soaps, figs and our favorites- Turkish delight and dried fruits of every variety imaginable (yum, strawberries). We had a good time sampling the merchandise.

After a little ceramic shopping I then had to scamper back to meet a group headed out to the U2 concert. Why do we have to leave SO early? Cause the Olympic Stadium takes 2 hours to get to through Istanbul's horrendous, gridlocked traffic (Turkey has never had the Olympics so unclear why they have a stadium that they clearly didn't finish after their failed bid.)

But wait, we were only in the bus for a short distance, the bulk of our journey was on the old train where men stood by the open doors for a little air--- insanity!

Anyway, we finally arrived at the concert to discover that U2 isn't so popular here- the stadium was maybe 1/3 full so the 360 degree thing didn't really pan out as they expected. Most of the people there appeared to be tourists- I hung out with Australians, South Africans and Dutch. I guess I should have known when the hostel workers didn't know who U2 is.

There must have been a few locals there though since Bono made some political statement and was booed- can't imagine he is used to that!!!

The concert was really good, if lacking atmosphere, but the 3 HOUR trek home was less so. Unbelievable!!!!!!

Part of the U2 group included Cindy and Jeff, my companions for the last full day in Istanbul- we packed in a lot!

We started off at the Grand Bazaar and believe it or not, I couldn't find anything worth buying in over 4,000 shops. I did want to get into a game of Rummy tile with one shopkeeper, but no time.

All that lack of buying got us hungry so we ate at some tiny hole in the wall spot. Language was a barrier that became frustrating, plus my indecisiveness, so they just made me a pide (Turkish pizza) segmented with each of the options. It was delish!!!!!

Belly full it is obviously time for a traditional Turkish scrub at the Cemberlitas Hamami, dating from 1584. The scrub was far inferior to the Korean versions I have had, but when in Turkey do as the Turks USED to do ;-)

That finally leaves time for the Blue Mosque, at last!!!! In this case it really was saving the best for almost last. It is stunning inside! In 1606 the goal was to make it grander and more beautiful than the Haghia Sophia. I would say Sultan Ahmet I succeeded. There are tens of thousands of blue tiles that give the building its unofficial name.

That evening we walked across the Galata Bridge (a little tardy for the planned sunset) to the hip part of town full of cool restaurants, bars and boutiques- glad I found it eventually.

What better way to top it off than some pudding at Saray Muhallebicisi, a pudding shop in operation since 1935 owned by Istanbul's mayor. 35 varieties- which to choose??? We opted against the burnt chicken breast pudding, but the rice pudding was scrumptious.

Since the metro closes early we needed a taxi to bring us home- what a crazy adventure. 1) They never really seem to know where they are going (I guess cause the city is HUGE- you need places for all 20 million people) and 2) like Italy they like to chat even though you don't understand. It all ended with me on the driver's phone talking to someone about a great place to visit for a good photo--- too bad I was leaving tomorrow (not that I understood anyway). It was sweet though- the Turkish people were always looking to be helpful, even if that did border on harassment.

Before catching my afternoon flight to Doha I had time for one more stop- the Basilica Cistern, another goodie built by Justinian in 532. It is the best looking reservoir I've seen.

Goodbye Europe! I hope Asia is as kind.

Turkey Pt. 2- Highs and Lows

Back on my own I decided to head east to Kas, a small fishing town, for the sole purpose of kayaking to the sunken city of Kekova.

Kas was really cute and really hilly (which I wish I knew before passing on the hotels free pickup from the bus station), but the sunken city the next day was a bit of a letdown.

They claim there are Byzantine ruins submerged 6m below the sea along the shore of the island, the result of a series of earthquakes in the 2nd century. Where were the underwater mosaics? I didn't see a one!

Good thing there were some cool Germans, a Brit, Malaysian and Coloradan on the trip to add fun and give me playmates for the rest of my time in Kas, enjoying Turkish Independence Day.

On the plus side, we did get to visit Kalekoy, a fishing village on the ancient site of Simena, which is only accessible by boat (or kayak in our case). It was very charming, with the ruins of sunken Lycian tombs- that were actually there (like the Egyptians, they believed they needed goodies for the afterlife) and a Crusader fortress.

I also got to try Turkish ice cream, which is best described as gummier than ours and delivered with all sort of antics that make you feel pretty foolish, but funny--- games really meant to amuse kids but that doesn't stop them from poking you in the nose with ice cream or handing you the cone and making the ice cream disappear.

Before catching my next 14 hour overnight bus, I spent the day shopping in the town's trendy boutiques and enjoying the mezes at Bahce Restaurant, the first spot in all these months that I actually couldn't get a table the night before (making me want to go even more). Time at the Hideaway Hotel's pool and rooftop with views of the sea, not to mention the hospitality of the owners, really topped off the experience.

Cappadocia is tops of most people's lists (except the crazy sailor who told me to skip it and "just watch a video")-- it is the land of "fairy chimneys and valleys of cascading cliffs" formed when Erciyes Dagi erupted. Think Star Wars! Over time underground cities and cave churches were added to the landscape.

My friend Ambien and I arrived in Uchisar, a favorite of the French and much less touristy than neighboring Goreme, somewhat rested but still in need of a few hours sleep (again, it was too hot to do anything, so don't judge.)

The first step was finding the guesthouse that Gokturk recommended- an artist's house with AMAZING views of the valley. First problem- instead of getting dropped off in town I was dumped along the main road having to guess which way to town (I guessed right). Second obstacle- it is 7am. Third challenge- since I wasn't dropped in the correct place I couldn't find the proper starting point for my directions. Thankfully, after wandering around for a bit, two old Turkish men (right out of central casting) walked me part of the way to the house. I think he probably wanted to kill me as he was hollering at me in Turkish from atop the fairly steep hill and in my Ambien haze I bypassed the house (I quickly realized my mistake).

After the most over-the-top breakfast of 1,000 dishes and a day of rest on my private terrace I motivated for sunset atop the Uchisar Castle for the views of Rose and Pigeon Valleys and the Cappadocia countryside.

The Castle is a tall volcanic-rock outcrop with tons of tunnels and windows, and NO barriers to prevent you from plunging to your death.
　
Since day 1 was admittedly pretty lazy, I motivated on day 2.

Oy, it was some day! Despite me thinking hiking alone is a bad idea for the last 5 months, the guesthouse owners were very reassuring that the "nice walk" to the neighboring town of Goreme would be no problem (really, hiking in mini Grand Canyon is okay?? You can't get lost?). Yeah, not exactly how I would now put it. Literally, this was the first time I thought I might need that emergency evacuation insurance!

So, my first attempt at the "easy to find" path ended in a cliff--- backtrack (it is hilly remember, but yeah, more good Everest training). The second attempt I figured I needed to get in the valley. Needless to say, I was never quite sure if I was on the right path and at some point figured I had a better shot of finding Goreme than getting back to Uchisar (thank god I looked at that REI compass for the first time ever before leaving or I may have cracked).

The highlight- when I was trying to cross a small cliff with a tiny footpath and the ground started crumbling under my feet (it looked like a MUCH bigger path until I got there). Grab on to something- yeah, that was crumbling too. I was NOT having fun! Now I definitely wasn't going to backtrack. Safely across I just wanted to get to Goreme as the path continued to twist and turn through creeks, orchards, bushes--- can this really be the right path? Finally I exited the jungle to see another human, funny enough a couple from Chicago-- I wanted to hug them! They were also kinda lost.

Goreme does seem to exist just for tourists, but sometimes that makes life easier. While there I visited the Open Air Museum, yet another UNESCO World Heritage site, a cluster of rock cut churches, monasteries and chapels. The cave churches were decorated with frescoes that are in surprisingly good condition and you could really get a sense of how these early Christians lived.

You will be happy to know I caught the local bus back to Uchisar- I learned my lesson on that hike.

But before I left Goreme I booked a hot air balloon ride for the following morning- a "must do" in Cappadocia. It was strange- I seemed to have struck a good bargain without even trying. I am still totally confused why they sold me the ticket so cheaply, making me promise not to tell anyone else what I paid and listing the price on my receipt at 45 euro more than I actually paid. Still looking for the catch.

The next morning I rose with the call to prayer at 4:30am for the balloon trip. The barking dog outside the guesthouse gate totally freaked me out- was he going to be kujo once I unbolted the door (after I figured out how to unbolt the door, that is)? All bark and no bite thankfully. Then there were the chickens to navigate around.

Although I wasn't dying to do the balloon ride, it was really cool. The sun rose over the wacky landscape as our pilot took joy in driving the balloon into crevices, barely missing crashing into the walls, and then higher than all the other balloons. The views were stunning and while I appeared to be the only single person doing what may be deemed a romantic activity, I really enjoyed it.

Since that only occupied me until 8am, what was I to do until my overnight bus to Istanbul?

Well, of course, take various public buses to the underground city of Derinkuyu, about an hour ride away. It didn't take long to find company for a private tour- the two Aussies at the bus stop in Nevsehir with a map were a dead giveaway ;-)

The underground cities were created in the 6th and 7th centuries by the early Christians (est. 10,000 people) to escape from the Persians and Arabs. This particular city had 6 different levels and room for livestock, cooking, food storage, school, church, a morgue and lots of wine cellars (I guess you need to drink a lot if you are living underground). They also had very advanced systems for keeping the air and water supplies fresh and climate control.

They never used these cities for any great length of time, only when they got the warning signals that were sent by lighting beacons atop the mountains- apparently they could send a warning message from Jerusalem to Constantinople in a matter of hours. It was really very impressive- people were so clever back in the day!

Turkey Pt.1

(Apologies for the long absence, it wasn't me being lazy- China blocks access to Blogger and Facebook, so I was cut off! So, to what I did a month ago....)

It's been ages since I've been on a plane, and even longer since I took a bazaar connection.

Apparently the largest population of Turks outside Turkey is in Germany, hence the cheapest flights, so I flew from Budapest to Hanover, connecting to a 2AM flight to Izmir, Turkey.

I didn't stay in Izmir long, just 2 hours until the train came to take me to Selcuk, home of Ephesus and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis.

But before I hit all the ruins I needed a nap and then a quick dolumus (minibus) ride (driving with the side doors wide open to get some air- again, silly me being the cautious American) to Sirince, a cute hill town known for their fruit wines.

For the thousandth time I was called Jennifer Lopez (this time before they even knew my name was Jennifer-- sadly she must be the only American woman people know!), this time by the hospitable waiter who walked me arm-in-arm to sample pretty much every flavor of fruit wine so I could make an informed decision. If memory serves me correctly, blackberry was the winner, paired with a delicious plate of mezes.

Everyone is super friendly in Turkey (well, men- like Zanzibar I am not sure where they hide the women). I began to think I was the only single foreign woman in the country since EVERYONE wanted to chat (and sell me a rug eventually, I am sure). Once while walking down the street one passerby said "hello again"- I guess we met before??

After the heat of the day subsided I trekked to the Basilica of St. John. They claim he wrote his gospel here in 95 AD (wait, that means he must have been very old- I detect a flaw in the story) and his tomb is located within the ruins. It must have been very impressive back in the day.

From Ayasuluk Hill, where the Basilica stood, I spotted the Temple of Artemis, or the one column that remains of the 127 that once stood, making it the largest temple in its day , even surpassing the Parthenon. I had intended to get closer, but then I walked to Ephesus and opted for the crazy overcrowded dolumus back to town.
It seems I may be the only one that walks the 4km to Ephesus since I didn't see anyone else (often I question my decisions when I don't see other tourists). As Lonely Planet said, the first stretch was nice and then the end not so much- thankfully I got a lift towards the end from a minibus driver who took pity on me while on his way to pick up a group.

Although not a big ruin girl, I did enjoy Ephesus, funny enough with an older Belarusian couple from NJ that I met while offering to take their picture (it is my new thing, I offer to take their photo and have met all sorts of random people that way- I'm friendly girl ;-)

Ephesus is the best preserved classical city in the eastern Mediterranean and was a prosperous city in 600 BC. and a pilgrimage site going back to 800 BC. It has a Great Theater built between 41-117 AD that holds 25,000 people and may have been the start of stadium seating- each row is pitched more steeply than the one below to give the best views.

The Library of Celsus, which held 12,000 scrolls at one point, also had an interesting architectural feature- the base of the facade is convex and the central columns and capitals are larger making the library appear bigger than it really is. Clever, eh?

Apparently they also have a house where the Virgin Mary stayed late in her life, but I didn't make it there.

I did however see the storks going in for a landing on the Byzantine Aqueduct outside my hotel while enjoying some lentils with the owners of the guesthouse (they were so nice!) and listening to the evening call to prayer (which I strongly prefer to the morning prayer at 4:30am!)

The next morning the journey continued with a 3 1/2 hour bus ride to Pamukkale. It was cool!!!!

Again I waited for the heat of mid day to pass, while lounging by the pool, before I made my way up to the travertines and Hierapolis, the large spa city above town.

The travertines were created when warm mineral water cooled and deposited calcium as it cascaded over the cliff edge. In order to preserve them you have to walk barefoot which is a little painful at times but well worth it since it is like nowhere I have been- like a giant white goopy sand castle with pools you can sit in coated in mud.

But that isn't even the best part! I spent 2 hours lounging around the Antique Pool, a thermal bath with submerged sections of original fluted columns. I found a nice column to lay upon in the 36 degree water and even an American to chat with (they are rare here)- she had all sorts of good Istanbul advice having lived there now for years as a university professor.

The ancient city of Hierapolis, with its amphitheater, baths, etc., was an afterthought after the pool and travetines.

Like Selcuk, I had lots of new friends here too, but you will be pleased to know that I did turn down the motorcycle tour to the top of a mountain with some random guy on the street. Was funny, this time I was greeted as "New York" by another person I apparently also met earlier. Too funny! (No, I'm still not buying a rug!)

Even funnier, the kid who appeared to run the bus company (not sure about child labor laws here- there seem to be a lot of 12 year old boys working on the buses). He was seriously a 55 year old man stuck in a 12 year old body giving me advice should people try to cheap me- priceless!

Fast forward many hours on various sized buses and I am in Marmaris on the Turkish Riviera (also known as the Turquoise Coast) about to embark on an 8 day sailing course with Sail Catamaran Turkey. It was a spur of the moment decision to sail and I found the company in one post on Tripadvisor (my bible) that I could never find again.

As it turns out, I was their first US client- go figure.

If you didn't already figure it out, it is called the Turquoise Coast since the water is the most amazing shades of blue-- spectacular!

Levent and Ayca, the couple who own the business, are absolutely lovely and kinda famous in Turkey for circumnavigating the globe and writing a book about their journey.

As it turns out, I was surrounded by Turkish fame- one of the other sailors in training was a famous former football (aka soccer) star in Turkey (and so much nicer than American athletes).

Being the only native English speaker definitely had its pluses and minuses. I met some really great people, but I missed out on a lot of the conversations and drama taking place around me in Turkish (and maybe the lesson on how to anchor the boat ;-). On the next to last day I finally clued in when an argument broke out and all I could understand was the word "Jennifer" every now and then- uh oh, I think maybe I unknowingly befriended the wrong (maybe crazy) sailor. :-(

Thankfully they took pity on me, especially Gokturk, and went out of their way to speak English every now and then which I really appreciated!

Either way, I was able to visit some really lovely spots on the Mediterranean, sleeping under the stars (it was too hot in the cabin), enjoying some good fish over LONG dinners (they really have to consolidate the dessert and coffee courses) and sampling Raki, their unofficial national drink similar to Ouzo (and equally anise-flavored and icky).

The highlight was probably when we docked in Selimiye where I did a little shopping, drank super tasty lemonade and had the most amazing meal. Funny, it seems the way to order in these parts is to barge in the kitchen and pick what looks good. I found it bazaar- can you imagine going into a kitchen in the US?

Levent also led us on three nice hikes (or climbs might be a better description as you can see in the photo) and we all had the scratches from the rocks and prickly shrubs as proof. No, it was worth it for the views and the castle at the top one day, plus I needed the training for Everest.

At the end of the week I passed the test for my beginners sailing certificate and actually kinda know a few things, except my knot skills which are lacking despite Gokhan's best efforts. Feel free to quiz me.

I also happily made a few new Turkish friends :-)