Turkey

Day 132 – 150

September 4^th to 22nd September

You will never know if you never go.

Istanbul

Totally underestimated this wonderful city. It is so quiet in the tourist areas making it very comfortable to visit but not too good for the Country.

Some of the most beautiful buildings in Istanbul were designed by Sinan a famous Ottoman Architect. “”I saw the monuments; the great ancient remains. From every ruin I learned, from every building I absorbed something.” He produced over 200 buildings in his lifetime.

A love story: Sinan was in love with the Sultans daughter, Mihrimah. Her name meant Sun and Moon. It is said that Sinan built two mosques dedicated to her. One in the East and one in the West so at the Spring equinox the sun would set behind one minaret and the moon rise between two on the other side. Simultaneously! Very romantic. How true the story is will never be known but everyone loves a good legend.

Visited the Hagia Sophia Museum which was closed but lovely to look at. The Blue Mosque or  Sultan Ahmet Mosque is named for the blue tiles inside the building. It was great to be allowed inside as we were with the Suleymaniye Mosque. This  Mosque is even more beautiful due it finer, less ornate interior.

The Grand Bazaar and spice market. Perfect. Just like the books you read as a kid. Colours, copper, hundreds of mosaic lamps, rugs, spices, brass, coffee. Everything! A feast for the eyes.

Tasted the biggest and most mouth watering figs ever. The food here is so scrumptious; Pide, Mussels stuffed with rice from the fish sandwich vendors along the river, Turkish delight. Nuts. Our Intrepid Travel tour group consists of 1 Aussie man, 11 Aussie girls and 2 Canadians. A great mix.

Gallipoli

We grew up with the stories of the ANZAC but to be at Anzac Cove where these young men came ashore to be slaughtered,  you truly understand the bravery of the men and boys, some being as young as 14. It is humbling to be there amongst  the hundreds of memorials for the men that  died fighting for their country.

The Turkish are so gracious and respectful of the whole area and welcome the new generations of Australians and New Zealanders with open arms. A mutual respect is present without being flaunted.

“You, the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries, wipe away your tears. Your sons are lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land , they have  become our sons as well”. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

The ferry goes to Canakkale which is the Asian side by of Turkey. A country that spans both Europe and Asia. The Trojan horse stands near the port (this is the one used in the movie). Stuffed Mussels are sold per piece from vendors dotted along the foreshore.

Selcuk by bus took around 7 hours and the scenery is surprisingly similar to the Australian bush. Ephesus and the Greco – Roman ruins, gods and goddesses. Enough to make your head spin.

One story of the many… Zeus was a bit of a womaniser and fell in love with a woman called Io. Hera, his wife, was not happy about this and was vengeful. To protect his girlfriend, Zeus turned Io into a heifer. Clearly he did not think this through. Hera was very suspicious of the random appearance of a beautiful white cow and sent it away to be guarded by a 100 eyed creature who was able to watch over it 24/7. Zeus then sent Hermes to kill the creature who he lulled to sleep with his lovely music before doing the deed. The 100 eyes were taken and set into the tail of a bird and voila! A peacock!

What happened to Io? She either  turned back into a beautiful princess or sirloin steak.

The old school public toilets at Ephesus were a communal affair, quite the meeting place. To avoid embarrassment the loos were set around a pool full of frogs. It was always the frogs!

Selcuk is a lovely town but unfortunately tourism is down. The President and Prime Minister were in town to open a new train line and so were 5000 Police Officers. It appears that the Governments ideology is not helping tourism which is sad as Turkish people on the whole are kind, generous  and have a great sense of humour. Australians are especially welcomed here.

A crystal mined in this area is called disphore also named Zultinite (by the U.S Company that mines it). It changes colour from amber to pink  to emerald green when exposed to different lights. A very popular purchase.

There is a very competitive breed of rooster in Pamukkale. One starts the crowing and the next minute there is another. They compete with eachother until one passes out. Sort of like a roosters drinking game.

Apart from the roosters, Pumukkale (Cotton Castle) is known for its calcium cliff like structures and the hot springs that feed through the calcium bi carbonate to form warm pools. Cleopatra’s personal pool was on top of the plateau and is surrounded by beautiful plants and, of course, shops, restaurants and baths. The cost to swim in her pool was 30 turkish lira. It is supposed to cure a multitude of ailments with its minerals.

Discovered the joys of real homemade Turkish ice cream. It is like toffee and is scooped up with a long stick. Delicious. Apparently, the texture is due to Mastica, the sap from a tree that is used in both Turkey and Greece.

Ruins of rock tombs are dotted through the hillsides of Fethiye. Visited an umbrella roofed shopping street and the famous blue lagoon where a sunbed and an umbrella is 15 TL and worth it. The beach is very pebbly and  beautifully white as though it has been landscaped that way. The water is a vibrant blue. Mojitos on the rooftop bar with our mates for the sunset and to watch the paragliders come swooping in for a landing.

 

Boat trip from Ucagiz What an experience! The boat was comfortable and the food was prepared by the Captain and her husband. Amongst the feast was cauliflower with garlic yoghurt sauce. Need to get the recipe for this one.

Imagine jumping of a boat into water that is very deep but so clear that you can see the bottom. Pockets of very warm and very cold-water surprise you. The water is indescribable so the suggestion would be to come to Turkey.

Moored at Kalekoy Island that was topped by a fortress. Halfway up is an ice creamery called “I am here”. The lemon and mint ice-cream was the best ever and the host and his wife were constantly filling our cups with a myriad of different flavours so that we wouldn’t miss out on anything.

Dinner was amazing and we all slept under the stars after some of the girls had an Uno play off.

Antalya is a very pretty  coastal town catering for the German and Russian tourists. The pension Razer was comfortable with beautiful gardens and a little bar and restaurant. Our hosts offered us their personal home pool but the beach was too enticing. A private beach close by was 30 Turkish Lira for the most wonderful experience. Deck chairs on a large pallet over the water with service and the water lapping underneath you. Very clever use of space.

Noticed a spa treatment that included a face mask, body exfoliation and massage for 25 Euros. What a deal. Only problem was that on enquiring, the masseuse/owner walked out with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. Couldn’t tell if he was sweaty or wet. Instead, we bought a jar of Clay mask for $5 and the entire group had a facial for free. Much better deal and a lot more fun sitting on the verandah with mud covered faces and a drink or two.

The bazaar in Antalya was a Roman Bath house and the ceiling, vaulted and stunning. Restaurants here have pools inside and if you eat there you can swim. A bit voyeuristic to have a silver service meal and have someone splashing around in a bikini.

Hadrian’s Gate is in Antalya and there is also a lot of the original wall.

The broken minaret stands behind the ruins of a place of prayer. First, it was a temple, then a church, then a mosque, then a church and then a mosque again. Finally, it was destroyed by an earthquake. Makes you wonder if God said, “if you can’t share no one can have it” and BOOM!

Turkish delight comes in all flavours. Originally called Osmanlica, meaning comfortable although you are not too comfortable after eating too much of it. It has been within the borders of the Ottoman Empire since the 15th century. A British traveller name it Turkish Delight.

Konya is a a 7 hour  road trip cross over the Tores Mountains, a very devout area and the birthplace of the Whirling Dervish, a faith from the 13^th century lead by a man called Mevlana ( Rumi). The hats symbolise tombstones, the black cloak is the ego (which they discard before the whirling begins), the white attire means purity. A red sheep skin symbolises the sunrise of the day that Mevlana died.  It is said, that the whirling started when Mevlana heard a jeweller banging on an anvil. It was a sign and the beat motivated Mevlana to whirl around and eventually enter into a trance like state. Mevlana’s followers copied him and the whirling dervish was born.

Cappadocia (land of beautiful horses) is one of those places that you have to experience first hand. Nothing you see or read can describe the immensity and solid beauty of the landscape. There are manmade pigeon holes in the incredible formations as their guano was an industry at one time. Our hotel was in one of the many rock caves. A balloon ride over the landscape is affordable and a highlight. Pictures tell the story. It is customary to decorate the basket with flowers  on landing and of course a toast to the end of a safe trip.

It was on the way to Darende that we visited incredible rock formations. This area is very arid and these structures just appear. The 3 graces, the Camel and the Fairy Castles. Gokpinar is abeautiful lake that is the most incredible blue, again in the middle of nowhere.

Cemberlitas Village is in Adiyaman and is agricultural: grapes, tobacco and wheat. Stayed with a lovely family here and slept under a thousand stars again. Could get used to it.

On the way to Mount Nemrut we walked across a 2^nd century AD Roman bridge. The bridge originally had 4 columns representing the family but, boys will be boys and the oldest brother (Emperor Caracalla}  killed his younger brother (Geta) and destroyed the 4^th Column that represented him. The standard script for a Roman soap opera.

Trudged up Mount Nemrut and to our surprise it was like Easter Island with the heads and bodies of all the famous gods. They were all there including King Antiochus (who thought he was one). Commagene, Zeus, Apollo and Herakles. These statues are replicated on the East and West side.

A tour of Turkey ended with a flight back to Istanbul, a quick sprint around the Grand Bazaar and a street food walk on the other side of the city.

Turkey is a magnificent country and there is nothing to fear here. Even walking at night is fine. The Turkish people are very friendly and welcome tourists openly. It is such a shame that past problems have maimed its’ tourist industry as it has so much to offer. Our little group was led by Suleyman Erkose, a fantastic guy first and tour guide second. He was so well read and attentive to all our quirks. As for  the group? They were fantastic and the laughter flowed constantly.  We had a ball.