Last chapter! Thanks for sticking with me and reading about all my adventures!
This was a day of waiting. Waiting to check-out, waiting for our transport to the airport, waiting for the flight to arrive, waiting to land in Dubai, and waiting for a coffee shop to open for breakfast. It was a long day with not much to do, other than wait.
We were able to get a 1 pm check-out instead of noon, which was something I guess. Our flight wasn't until 11:50 pm so an extra hour at the hotel was better than nothing. We ate breakfast, then returned to the room to get ready and finish packing. We checked out at 1 and headed back to Taksim Square to see the sites one last time. Before we actually got to Taksim Square we saw the restaurant that Jenn told me about so we decided to have lunch before doing last minute souvenir shopping. After lunch we walked around town, buying last minute gifts, and found a bench in the sun to sit and rest while we waited. It was another sunny, but cold and windy day in Istanbul, and we were both quite tired of being tourists so we just sat a lot and people watched. Which was totally fine with me. We did happen upon a local film crew that was taping a scene where we were seated, so we got to watch that; not that we could understand anything that was being said, but it was still interesting to watch the making of some sort of movie. Our transport back to the airport wasn't supposed to arrive until 8, but we were cold and a bit bored so we headed back to the hotel around 6 to sit in the lobby so we could warm up and use the wifi.
We got to the airport around 9, had dinner and chatted about our trip before heading to our gate. 11:30 came and went and we were still waiting to board. There were no announcements indicating that the flight had been delayed, but delayed it was. We didn't actually board until midnight and by then we were supposed be 10 minutes into the flight. I had purchased emergency row seats for the flight back, hoping that I would be a bit more comfortable and able to get some sleep but that didn't happen. I only got my typical 2-2 1/2 hours of sleep.
Despite leaving late, we arrived into Dubai early. Now that would have been a good thing if we could have actually landed, but due to stormy (really??) weather in Dubai we had to circle the airport for about 45 minutes before we could land. That I believe is the worst feeling, knowing that you are so close to getting off the plane, but you can't. Frustrating. We finally landed at about 5:45; 45 minutes after we were supposed to arrive, but we landed safely so I guess that's the only thing that matters. Since ours was the first plane to arrive, passport control was a breeze; I was the second person in line! After we cleared customs we grabbed our bags and then got a taxi to Vanny's so she could drop off her luggage and I could get my car.
We headed to one of the local malls for breakfast, but unfortunately things open later on Friday than they do during the week, so we had to wait until a coffee shop was ready to serve us (before they actually opened) at 7:15. After breakfast I took Vanny back to her place so she could shower and get ready for church, while I went to church (that's the main problem with having many Filipino friends - they don't have room in their apartments for me, as they share with many other people all of whom have to use the shower as well). So I went to church and cleaned myself up in the car before going into the hotel.
I was supposed to have lunch with Kristie and Jane after church, but I was exhausted. Having been up since 8 am the previous morning and only sleeping about 2 hours I was ready to crash, so I drove back to Al Ain and by God's grace alone I made it without falling asleep. I took a 2 hour nap and forced myself to get up when my alarm went off because I wanted to be able to sleep that night and sleep I did; I was out for nearly 12 hours before I woke up at 8:30 Saturday morning.
So, all in all it was a great trip! It wasn't the Philippines, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I would definitely go back to Cappadocia and if anyone wants to join me please let me know. I would probably pass on Istanbul and Ephesus (unless I went to the Christian parts), but there are many other places that I would love to see. I'm thinking a Greece/Turkey cruise!! It will be a while before that happens though:)
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Turkey Part 4 - Ephesus April 2
Our trip to Ephesus did not have a pleasant start. We were met at 5 am for our transport to the airport for a 6 am flight to Izmir. The flight was short, only about 45 minutes, and smooth. We landed on time and went to find our local tour guide who was to meet us at the airport and take us into the city for our tour. The scheduled meeting time was 7:45, and when no one was there by 8:00 we began to wonder what to do. One of the problems with international traveling is the fact that I don't have an international plan (it costs 1,000 dirhams extra) so I can't make calls. We went out of the airport 5 times, and back in again through security, looking for someone holding a sign with my name on it. No one. At 8:15 we were directed to the 4th floor to information, since no one was at the information desk on the ground floor, to use their phone. The attendant at the information desk called our tour guide in Istanbul, that was the only number that we had, and found out that the driver was waiting for us at arrivals. We tried to explain to her that no one was there, but to no avail, so we went back downstairs and outside, once again, to look. And no one was there. So, we went back in and the same attendant was now downstairs at the information desk and we had her call again. This time she was informed that the local guide would call her and explain the situation to her so she could relay the information to us. Eventually we found out that the driver was still en route to the airport and would arrive in about 5 minutes. What had happened was that the tour company in Ephesus had switched to their summer hours and hadn't informed the tour company in Istanbul. I don't completely get this because in my mind it doesn't matter what time the tour starts, you have the flight number and time of our arrival so you show up at the airport to pick us up. Right? Logically that makes sense, but that's not what happened. Anyway, the driver showed up at 8:45 like he was "supposed" to and transported us to the tour company to pick up a few more guests before starting the tour.
Once our tour began we headed out to one of the supposed houses of the Virgin Mary. There are several theories and stories surrounding the house, but the best story is that the site was revealed to a nun who wrote a description of it in a book that was read by a Turkish priest who realized she was describing the site in Ephesus. It is highly probable that Mary lived there with John after Jesus' crucifixion. The house is rather big for ancient times and it is well preserved. Along the outside of the house there is a wishing wall that is covered in wishes written on fabric. We had a nice visit and walk around the surrounding area before our bus left for the ancient city of Ephesus.
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city built in the 10th century BC with a population of at least 50,000. Walking around this ancient city reminded me a lot of the other ruins I had seen in Lebanon and Petra, especially the walk leading to the treasury in Petra. As we walked from the governmental to the residential sections of Ephesus, the library was the focal point, just as the treasury in Petra was the focal point. The governmental section had carvings of various Greek gods and goddesses, the medical facilities, fountains, and of course the governmental buildings. The residential section had the houses, theater, library, and the hammam (bathroom). Although the houses had their own hammams, the one built in the residential section was for non-residents, like those attending the market place. The market place would have had more than 20 covered stalls along each side of the square. We enjoyed the sunshine while wandering around the ancient city imagining what it would have been like to have lived there. Because this settlement was dated BC there wasn't much evidence of Christianity other than a few crosses carved into blocks of the fountain. This was unfortunate, because I would have liked to have spent time where Paul spent time preaching, but I guess that just means I'll have to go back to Ephesus to tour the places he preached. The sunshine quickly became too much, so we sought solace in the shade before meeting the rest of our group back at the bus to continue on to the oldest mosque in Turkey and the Temple of Artemis.
The last two stops of our tour were quick stops. We spent a few minutes at the oldest mosque in Turkey where you didn't have to cover your head or take your shoes off to enter. It is definitely different from the mosques that I have seen in Turkey and in the UAE, but it is still beautiful. After walking around the mosque for a bit we headed to the Temple of Artemis (goddess of fertility), one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. With this description in our minds, we were a bit disappointed by what we saw. There was only one column standing surrounded by a pile of rocks and other rocks that were underwater due to local flooding. I would definitely not classify what I saw as a wonder of the ancient world. It is listed as a wonder of the ancient world because of its size: 115 m (337 ft) long by 46 m (151 ft) wide with 13 m (40 ft) high columns made of marble. I suppose with those measurements it can be listed as a wonder of the ancient world, but I was still disappointed.
Our tour ended at 4:30, and we had a lot of time to kill before our 10:30 flight back to Istanbul, so the driver took us over to the coastal town of Kusadasi where we walked along the corniche, had dinner and enjoyed the view of the water before our driver came back at 7:00 to take us to the airport. No problems at the Izmir airport and we were met by our driver in Istanbul to take us back to our hotel for our last night.
Once our tour began we headed out to one of the supposed houses of the Virgin Mary. There are several theories and stories surrounding the house, but the best story is that the site was revealed to a nun who wrote a description of it in a book that was read by a Turkish priest who realized she was describing the site in Ephesus. It is highly probable that Mary lived there with John after Jesus' crucifixion. The house is rather big for ancient times and it is well preserved. Along the outside of the house there is a wishing wall that is covered in wishes written on fabric. We had a nice visit and walk around the surrounding area before our bus left for the ancient city of Ephesus.
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| The walk down to the residential section featuring the library |
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city built in the 10th century BC with a population of at least 50,000. Walking around this ancient city reminded me a lot of the other ruins I had seen in Lebanon and Petra, especially the walk leading to the treasury in Petra. As we walked from the governmental to the residential sections of Ephesus, the library was the focal point, just as the treasury in Petra was the focal point. The governmental section had carvings of various Greek gods and goddesses, the medical facilities, fountains, and of course the governmental buildings. The residential section had the houses, theater, library, and the hammam (bathroom). Although the houses had their own hammams, the one built in the residential section was for non-residents, like those attending the market place. The market place would have had more than 20 covered stalls along each side of the square. We enjoyed the sunshine while wandering around the ancient city imagining what it would have been like to have lived there. Because this settlement was dated BC there wasn't much evidence of Christianity other than a few crosses carved into blocks of the fountain. This was unfortunate, because I would have liked to have spent time where Paul spent time preaching, but I guess that just means I'll have to go back to Ephesus to tour the places he preached. The sunshine quickly became too much, so we sought solace in the shade before meeting the rest of our group back at the bus to continue on to the oldest mosque in Turkey and the Temple of Artemis. |
| Old mosque |
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| Temple of Artemis |
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| Model of the Temple of Artemis |
Turkey Part 3 - Istanbul April 1
After all of our early mornings, late nights, and walking around Cappadocia and Istanbul for the previous 4 days, we had a well deserved relaxation day. We did not set our alarms or request a wake-up call, so we slept until 9 and had a leisurely breakfast before returning to the room to casually get ready for our day.
The first thing on our agenda was to experience a Turkish bath and during our wanderings the first few days in Istanbul we found one that we liked. It was a private bath, so we would not be sitting naked with complete strangers. I would have done it if Vanny wanted to, but I was secretly glad that she didn't feel comfortable with that idea! So, we paid the extra money for a private one and it was well worth it. Vanny was able to get the full experience, while I had a modified one due to my ribs. I got what they usually give pregnant women who can't lay on their stomachs!
The Turkish bath started with us changing into a towel to go into the sauna and steam room before our scrubbing. After the scrub, we were covered in foam for a massage. Vanny got both sides done, while I only got my front done. Then we sat in the jacuzzi before our next massage and facial. I am not a huge fan of massages, they usually hurt too much, but this one was really gentle and relaxing. The facial was wonderful. We walked out of the spa feeling refreshed, energized, and silky smooth! If we had more time and more money we would have made another appointment!
Feeling refreshed we walked around looking for a restaurant that had been recommended to us by a local. We could not find it, but we did find another local restaurant that we felt like we should try. We had the "world famous" Anatolian ravioli along with some feta pancakes and fresh squeezed orange juice. Everything was expertly made, we even watched the woman make our pancakes, and extremely tasty.
Relaxed and well fed, we returned to the hotel to get directions to the theater for the Whirling Dervish show. We were told to take the train two stops past the Blue Mosque and then ask for directions; so that is what we did. Once we got off the train we asked a local for directions to the theater; he was unable to help us, but he quickly found someone who could and he ended up walking with us to the theater. The theater is very small, it seats only about 100 people, but it is very quaint and traditional. We were given a program with a description of the show and shown to our seats, which were in the second row, just before the show started. The show started with some local musicians playing traditional Turkish music and after they finished the Whirling Dervish show began.
The Whirling Dervishes are from a sect of Islam known as the Mevlevi Order. The order is defined by "sufism" which is "a means by which a person makes his personality free from bad habits, cleanses his soul, and attains maturity with his love for God." The men performing this ceremony rid themselves of bad habits, cleanse their souls, and reach maturity with God by, and through, whirling. The ceremony lasts for about 1/2 an hour, in which they are constantly whirling around their own axis and around a central axis (like the planets revolve around themselves and the sun). The spin with one hand facing upwards and one hand facing downwards to symbolize that what they get from God they give to others. The ceremony ends with a reading of the Quran and a prayer for the souls of all prophets and the salvation of their country.
We were amazed by their devotion and dedication and impressed with their continuous whirling. They never once looked tired, and they never once faltered in their rotations around the central point. It was absolutely impressive.
We left the theater in silence and headed to the nearest train station to return to our hotel for our early morning departure to Ephesus.
The first thing on our agenda was to experience a Turkish bath and during our wanderings the first few days in Istanbul we found one that we liked. It was a private bath, so we would not be sitting naked with complete strangers. I would have done it if Vanny wanted to, but I was secretly glad that she didn't feel comfortable with that idea! So, we paid the extra money for a private one and it was well worth it. Vanny was able to get the full experience, while I had a modified one due to my ribs. I got what they usually give pregnant women who can't lay on their stomachs!
The Turkish bath started with us changing into a towel to go into the sauna and steam room before our scrubbing. After the scrub, we were covered in foam for a massage. Vanny got both sides done, while I only got my front done. Then we sat in the jacuzzi before our next massage and facial. I am not a huge fan of massages, they usually hurt too much, but this one was really gentle and relaxing. The facial was wonderful. We walked out of the spa feeling refreshed, energized, and silky smooth! If we had more time and more money we would have made another appointment!
Feeling refreshed we walked around looking for a restaurant that had been recommended to us by a local. We could not find it, but we did find another local restaurant that we felt like we should try. We had the "world famous" Anatolian ravioli along with some feta pancakes and fresh squeezed orange juice. Everything was expertly made, we even watched the woman make our pancakes, and extremely tasty.
Relaxed and well fed, we returned to the hotel to get directions to the theater for the Whirling Dervish show. We were told to take the train two stops past the Blue Mosque and then ask for directions; so that is what we did. Once we got off the train we asked a local for directions to the theater; he was unable to help us, but he quickly found someone who could and he ended up walking with us to the theater. The theater is very small, it seats only about 100 people, but it is very quaint and traditional. We were given a program with a description of the show and shown to our seats, which were in the second row, just before the show started. The show started with some local musicians playing traditional Turkish music and after they finished the Whirling Dervish show began.
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We were amazed by their devotion and dedication and impressed with their continuous whirling. They never once looked tired, and they never once faltered in their rotations around the central point. It was absolutely impressive.
We left the theater in silence and headed to the nearest train station to return to our hotel for our early morning departure to Ephesus.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Turkey Part 2 - Cappadocia March 30-31
Sunday March 30 began in a quite confusing manner. We were supposed to meet our driver for transport to the airport at 5:00 am, so we set our alarms for 3:00 and 3:30. Here is where it gets confusing, and I hope you can follow. What happened is that Turkey was supposed to spring forward at 3:00 am along with the rest of the EU, but Turkey decided to stay on the same time until their election was over so they did not spring forward. Well, our smart phones did not know this so they sprung forward just like they were supposed to do. One might wonder what happens when you have an alarm set for 3:00 and that time doesn't exist anymore, well the alarm goes off at 4:00. Now that wouldn't be that big of a problem if there was only one of us that had to get ready, but there were two of us and we didn't hear Vanny's alarm at 4:00. I heard my alarm at 4:30 and wondered why it didn't go off at 3:30 like I had set it. I checked my iPad to make sure that it was really 4:30 and not 3:30, but my iPad had sprung forward just like my iPhone so it too said 4:30. So we hurriedly got ready and headed downstairs to discover that the clock down there said 4:00 instead of 5:00 like our phones. What?! We questioned the guy at the desk and he agreed with our phones and changed his computer time to say 5:00. Good, so we were right and everything else was wrong. Wrong! As we were waiting for our ride to show up, another hotel employee explained the situation, in Turkish, to the first guy and he switched the time back and explained what had happened. It was indeed 4:00 am, and we had another hour before the driver would pick us up to take us to the airport. A confusing start to a great, but confusing day as we wondered what time it was throughout the day. There were 5 other people joining us for our tour of Cappadocia and they had the same problems that we had. At least we weren't the only ones who were terribly confused!
Our flight to Cappadocia lasted an hour and we were given emergency exit seats so at least it was comfortable. We were greeted in Cappadocia by the driver who would take us on our tour. We quickly boarded the bus, as we didn't want to stand around outside while it was freezing (-4 C/24 F) and flurrying. It was neat to witness Vanny's first experience with snow, even though it was only flurries. Even with our newly bought gloves we were definitely not prepared for these freezing temperatures. At least the bus had heat!
Our tour that day consisted of the fairy chimneys, an open air museum where we saw monasteries built into mountains, an underground city, a quick stop at a pottery making shop, and the Dervant Valley.
The fairy chimneys are made from erosion of rock and volcanic ash and lava. The rock erodes at a slower rate than the ash and lava so you are left with a column like rock (volcanic lava and ash) with a darker mushroom like top (rock). They are absolutely beautiful, and there are so many of them. The sun was shining making the day look warmer than it actually was, so we wandered around taking pictures of the fairy chimneys before getting back on the bus to get warm.
The Goreme Open Air Museum was our next stop on the tour. It was here that we saw many houses and monasteries carved into the rock. It was absolutely amazing to see how and where people lived and worshiped during the 4th century in Turkey. It's difficult to imagine people living in caves carved into mountains, but that is exactly what they did. The houses were divided into different areas, just like they are now, and there were even places for animals. The churches and monasteries were built in the upper stories of the rock with the houses below and the barns below the houses. Everything was easily accessible to all who lived there. The monasteries had frescoes (natural paintings) covering the walls of the caves. The frescoes are deteriorating, but they still are beautiful depictions of worship during that time period. We walked through a few monasteries discussing what it would have been like to live during the 4th century, and then we made our way back to the bus to continue our tour to an underground city.
The underground city was absolutely amazing! They were truly cities underground. Christians had all they need to survive the persecution that they were facing from the Romans. The cities were complex, narrow, and hidden so they could survive. The tunnels were small and narrow with rolling stones to be used to block passages if necessary. There were tunnels to bring food down, places for animals, and gathering places. Amazing. Unfortunately it was necessary for these 4th century Christians to live this way. Although it was very interesting exploring the city and imagining what it would have been like to have to live underground with no sunlight, it was quite painful touring the city. The passages were very short and narrow and there were times when I almost had to go through on my knees. I experienced more pain in my ribs than my back or knees, but it was definitely worth it.
Before heading to the Dervant Valley we took a quick detour to a pottery shop where we saw master craftsmen making and painting pottery. This is where I got my vase to add to my collection.
Our last stop of the day was the Dervant Valley where we saw various rock formations, including one that looked like a camel. This was just a quick stop for a few photos before heading to our hotel.
Words simply cannot describe the balloon ride. Stunning. Spectacular. Amazing. It was not nearly as cold as I had been expecting because it was -6 C (21 F) on the ground. It felt much warmer in the air, not sure why exactly, but we weren't freezing cold like we had been. There are over 100 balloon companies in Cappadocia and each balloon holds 16 people, so there were a lot of people taking the morning sunrise tour of the Rose Valley. To get into the basket you have to climb up using foot holds on the basket. It was a bit challenging, but they help you and once you're in, you're in. There really is nowhere you can go as they cram 4 people in each section of a basket. There was only a little bit of room to maneuver around and take pictures. We were shown how to brace ourselves during the landing, but other than that we just stood there watching the scenery. The takeoff was smooth, and before we knew it we were airborne. We witnessed the sun rise in the Rose Valley turning the rock formations a flaming orange, the fairy chimneys, and the open air museum from above. I took way too many pictures, but it was absolutely beautiful. The landing was a bump, and then we were down. Before we could get out of the basket, they hauled us up onto a truck bed. I carefully climbed out, but they lifted Vanny out! She is super tiny, so they were able to do that. We had a nice chuckle over that. On our way back to the hotel for breakfast I got to talking to an older lady who is from DC; I was talking to her husband while we were waiting for the balloon to take off. She gave me her contact information and agreed to show me around DC if I end up there. Pretty neat to already have a contact, if necessary. We got back to the hotel just in time for a quick breakfast before the next part of our tour.
We began our tours for the day with a 5 K hike through the Rose Valley where we saw ancient pigeon homes carved into the mountains. The people of Turkey used to use pigeon droppings as fertilizer so there were many homes for these special birds. After hiking through the mud and puddles of the Rose Valley, we hiked uphill to see an ancient Greek civilization where we met a woman who used to live in one of the caves that are now being sold and turned into cave hotels. She showed us her cave, which was very modest; just one room, but you could tell that she loved living there. There were places in the wall for placing belongings and nails in the wall for pictures or other wall hangings. It was simple, but it was her home. All of the hiking had made us hungry so we ended our tour and drove to lunch.
After lunch we went to another underground city, but after the pain and difficulties of the first underground city that I toured, I opted out. I walked around the souq and just sat in the sun chatting with another couple that chose not to go on the tour either.
When the rest of the group got back, Vanny and I had some traditional Turkish ice-cream before boarding the bus to go to the carpet factory. At the carpet factory we saw master carpet makers at work. It was so impressive watching them weave the carpet just by looking at a simple design attached to the loom. They rarely looked up and didn't even count the strands before threading the silk, cotton, or wool through the loom. Amazing patience and skill. One carpet may take over a year to finish, depending on the material used and how big the carpet is. Watching them work definitely made me appreciate the cost of these carpets. They really are worth every penny paid.
With our tours finished for the day, we headed back to the hotel to pack up so we could meet our driver to take us to the airport for our 9:45pm flight back to Istanbul. We arrived at the airport around 7 and had to wait to check-in and then go through security. In addition to waiting for the essentials, we discovered that our flight was delayed until 10:50. That meant we spent nearly 4 hours waiting in a small local airport with nothing to do; no wifi, no cafes, no TV, nothing. We did a lot of reading.
Upon our arrival in Istanbul, we met our driver to take us back to our hotel, turned the heat on and went to bed. We had an exhausting, but exhilarating 2 days in Cappadocia and I highly recommend visiting that city.
Our flight to Cappadocia lasted an hour and we were given emergency exit seats so at least it was comfortable. We were greeted in Cappadocia by the driver who would take us on our tour. We quickly boarded the bus, as we didn't want to stand around outside while it was freezing (-4 C/24 F) and flurrying. It was neat to witness Vanny's first experience with snow, even though it was only flurries. Even with our newly bought gloves we were definitely not prepared for these freezing temperatures. At least the bus had heat!
Our tour that day consisted of the fairy chimneys, an open air museum where we saw monasteries built into mountains, an underground city, a quick stop at a pottery making shop, and the Dervant Valley.The fairy chimneys are made from erosion of rock and volcanic ash and lava. The rock erodes at a slower rate than the ash and lava so you are left with a column like rock (volcanic lava and ash) with a darker mushroom like top (rock). They are absolutely beautiful, and there are so many of them. The sun was shining making the day look warmer than it actually was, so we wandered around taking pictures of the fairy chimneys before getting back on the bus to get warm.
The Goreme Open Air Museum was our next stop on the tour. It was here that we saw many houses and monasteries carved into the rock. It was absolutely amazing to see how and where people lived and worshiped during the 4th century in Turkey. It's difficult to imagine people living in caves carved into mountains, but that is exactly what they did. The houses were divided into different areas, just like they are now, and there were even places for animals. The churches and monasteries were built in the upper stories of the rock with the houses below and the barns below the houses. Everything was easily accessible to all who lived there. The monasteries had frescoes (natural paintings) covering the walls of the caves. The frescoes are deteriorating, but they still are beautiful depictions of worship during that time period. We walked through a few monasteries discussing what it would have been like to live during the 4th century, and then we made our way back to the bus to continue our tour to an underground city.The underground city was absolutely amazing! They were truly cities underground. Christians had all they need to survive the persecution that they were facing from the Romans. The cities were complex, narrow, and hidden so they could survive. The tunnels were small and narrow with rolling stones to be used to block passages if necessary. There were tunnels to bring food down, places for animals, and gathering places. Amazing. Unfortunately it was necessary for these 4th century Christians to live this way. Although it was very interesting exploring the city and imagining what it would have been like to have to live underground with no sunlight, it was quite painful touring the city. The passages were very short and narrow and there were times when I almost had to go through on my knees. I experienced more pain in my ribs than my back or knees, but it was definitely worth it.Before heading to the Dervant Valley we took a quick detour to a pottery shop where we saw master craftsmen making and painting pottery. This is where I got my vase to add to my collection.Our last stop of the day was the Dervant Valley where we saw various rock formations, including one that looked like a camel. This was just a quick stop for a few photos before heading to our hotel.
Although we were a bit disappointed because we did not get to stay in a cave hotel like we had wanted to, that quickly passed once we saw our hotel, the Lykia Lodge. It was beautiful! Definitely a huge step from the one that we were staying at in Istanbul. The room was nicely decorated and big enough for the both of us, with a good view of the mountains in the distance and TV channels in English. Dinner was included in our tour price so after briefly warming up and freshening up in our room, we headed downstairs to the buffet. What an assortment of food! There was soup, salad, pasta, vegetables, chicken, lamb, and the required dish of rice. Everything was exquisitely prepared and arranged on the buffet line and it all looked delicious. I settled for soup, vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots) with chicken and rice. After our late dinner we returned to our room to get some sleep before our 4am wake up call (we decided to get a wake up call after what happened that morning) for our sunrise balloon tour.
Words simply cannot describe the balloon ride. Stunning. Spectacular. Amazing. It was not nearly as cold as I had been expecting because it was -6 C (21 F) on the ground. It felt much warmer in the air, not sure why exactly, but we weren't freezing cold like we had been. There are over 100 balloon companies in Cappadocia and each balloon holds 16 people, so there were a lot of people taking the morning sunrise tour of the Rose Valley. To get into the basket you have to climb up using foot holds on the basket. It was a bit challenging, but they help you and once you're in, you're in. There really is nowhere you can go as they cram 4 people in each section of a basket. There was only a little bit of room to maneuver around and take pictures. We were shown how to brace ourselves during the landing, but other than that we just stood there watching the scenery. The takeoff was smooth, and before we knew it we were airborne. We witnessed the sun rise in the Rose Valley turning the rock formations a flaming orange, the fairy chimneys, and the open air museum from above. I took way too many pictures, but it was absolutely beautiful. The landing was a bump, and then we were down. Before we could get out of the basket, they hauled us up onto a truck bed. I carefully climbed out, but they lifted Vanny out! She is super tiny, so they were able to do that. We had a nice chuckle over that. On our way back to the hotel for breakfast I got to talking to an older lady who is from DC; I was talking to her husband while we were waiting for the balloon to take off. She gave me her contact information and agreed to show me around DC if I end up there. Pretty neat to already have a contact, if necessary. We got back to the hotel just in time for a quick breakfast before the next part of our tour. |
| Pigeon homes |
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| Greek city |
After lunch we went to another underground city, but after the pain and difficulties of the first underground city that I toured, I opted out. I walked around the souq and just sat in the sun chatting with another couple that chose not to go on the tour either.
When the rest of the group got back, Vanny and I had some traditional Turkish ice-cream before boarding the bus to go to the carpet factory. At the carpet factory we saw master carpet makers at work. It was so impressive watching them weave the carpet just by looking at a simple design attached to the loom. They rarely looked up and didn't even count the strands before threading the silk, cotton, or wool through the loom. Amazing patience and skill. One carpet may take over a year to finish, depending on the material used and how big the carpet is. Watching them work definitely made me appreciate the cost of these carpets. They really are worth every penny paid.With our tours finished for the day, we headed back to the hotel to pack up so we could meet our driver to take us to the airport for our 9:45pm flight back to Istanbul. We arrived at the airport around 7 and had to wait to check-in and then go through security. In addition to waiting for the essentials, we discovered that our flight was delayed until 10:50. That meant we spent nearly 4 hours waiting in a small local airport with nothing to do; no wifi, no cafes, no TV, nothing. We did a lot of reading.
Upon our arrival in Istanbul, we met our driver to take us back to our hotel, turned the heat on and went to bed. We had an exhausting, but exhilarating 2 days in Cappadocia and I highly recommend visiting that city.
Turkey Part 1 - Istanbul March 28-29
After 12 looong weeks of teaching, March 27th finally arrived and so did the beginning of a well-deserved 2 week vacation. I had dropped Snowy off at Alexandra's the night before so I knew she would be well taken care of while I was in Turkey, so I was ready to go. Since I do not teach the last 2 periods on Thursday I was able to request emergency leave and head to Dubai at 1:15 instead of 3:00. I made it to Vanny's by 3:00 and we waited for what seemed like an eternity for a taxi to the airport. We saw multiple taxis drive by without stopping and we wondered what the problem was. We discovered later that it was shift change time so that was why all the taxis were passing without stopping. We finally got a taxi, an airport taxi which are more expensive than regular city taxis, and we arrived with plenty of time before our 6:50 Fly Dubai flight.
The saying "You get what you pay for" is totally true. Fly Dubai is a discount airline and that is definitely evident; everything - baggage, food, pillow, drinks - is an extra charge. Unfortunately I don't have many good things to say about this airline, other than the fact that we arrived safely; which I guess is the most important thing. The seats are small and crammed close together, which is extremely unfortunate for someone with long legs. There was no room at all. Thankfully the middle seat was unoccupied so Vanny took the window seat and I had the aisle seat and the middle seat to sort of stretch my legs. We were seated by a large Indian family, I think they occupied the seats in front of us, behind us, and next to us. They were loud, passing crying babies to each other, and eating curry. It was a rather long, loud, and unpleasant 4 1/2 hours, but we arrived safely and on time. I don't think I'll ever fly Fly Dubai again; well I don't think I'll ever have the opportunity to choose that airline again anyway.
Once at Sabiha Gokcen International Airport, we headed to passport control. I did not have an entry visa and did not know that I needed one; I suppose I should have checked into that before leaving; I did check, I just didn't check to see if I needed to get one on arrival. Vanny had to get a visa before leaving so she was all set. The agent looked through my passport for a visa and didn't find one so he directed me to the visa station so I could enter the country. Fortunately there wasn't a line so I went right up to the counter to find out that they only accept euros or dollars, and of course I only had lira (Turkish currency) and dirhams, and they don't accept cards either. He directed me to an ATM where I could get Dollars. With dollars in hand, I headed back to the visa station so I could get a Turkey visit visa and then make it through passport control to meet Vanny on the other side. After collecting our luggage, we met our transport and headed to the hotel so we could check-in and get some much needed sleep.
Istanbul March 28-29
Our first day in Istanbul dawned chilly, rainy, and overcast. But, after being in the desert we enjoyed the change in weather. Topkapi Inter Istanbul Hotel is located right near a tram station so after putting on our warmer clothes and grabbing our umbrella (thankfully Vanny brought one:), we headed to the tram station. At the tram station we had to figure out how to get a card and how to get where we were headed. Despite being a major place for foreign tourists, everything in Istanbul is pretty much in Turkish so we faced a bit of a language barrier. But, the people are extremely friendly and willing to help, even if they don't know that much English themselves. We had many locals point us in the right direction, or ask someone who knew English to point us in the right direction. We bought our Istanbul kart (tram card) and boarded the right train, with the help of the security guard, to Sultanhamet where we were going to explore Taksim Square.
We got off the train and headed to the Blue Mosque, only to find out that it would be closed until prayer time finished at 2:30. As we were walking around Taksim Square we met a local (this local turned out to be a carpet seller - there are many of them who wander the square trying to get tourists to come to their shop) who directed us to the Basilica Cistern while we were waiting for the mosque to re-open. We bought another umbrella and waited in line, with a bunch of high school aged kids on a field trip, to enter the cistern.
The Basilica Cistern is the largest of hundreds of ancient cisterns that lie beneath Istanbul. The cistern was used to provide water to the Great Palace of Constantinople and Topkapi Palace. It was built to hold 100,000 tons of water, but it is nearly empty now; there is only a few feet of water, with carp swimming around the bottom. The cistern is amazingly beautiful. It is dark, but lit by 336 candles that line each of the marble columns. The water level continually changes due to rain and snow melt. On the day that we were there it was actually "raining" inside. We walked around the cistern for a while before getting our pictures taken in traditional Turkish clothing. The main attractions in the cistern are the Medusa columns. There are 2 of them, one upside down and the other on its side. There are many theories as to why the Medusa columns are placed the way they are, but tradition holds that they were placed that way to negate the power of the Gorgon's (a Greek goddess who could turn those who looked at her to stone). In reality they were probably placed that way because that is the only way they would fit in the cistern. 
Upon leaving the cistern, we were met by the local that took us to the cistern and brought to his carpet shop. Neither of us were really in the market for carpet shopping, but that all changed once we saw what he had to offer. Once inside the shop they offered us some delicious hot apple tea while they lectured about how the carpet is made and showed us the many different pieces they had to offer. They literally unrolled hundreds of different carpets and kept bringing more in for us to inspect. Not only did they show us the carpet, they explained how they were made and showed us how to tell if they were genuine organic carpets instead of fake organic carpets. Evidently there is a huge carpet market in Turkey and it's quite important to know how to tell if it's genuine or fake. After unrolling and displaying hundreds of carpets I settled on a piece that has Turkish symbols on it that I will hang over my sofa (when I get a place and have a sofa) and 3 pillow covers to go on throw pillows for said sofa. Vanny bought a table runner and 2 pillow covers for her mother. I know we didn't buy the expensive pieces that they probably wanted us to buy, but at least we made a purchase. The amazing part was the speed to which they cleaned up the "mess" made by all the carpets. There was one guy re-rolling the carpets and nicely stacking the loose pieces and he was done in under 5 minutes! One minute there were carpets all over the floor and the next they were all neatly put back where they belonged. With purchases in hand we walked back to Taksim Square to the Hagia Sophia. |
| The Hagia Sophia |
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| Inside the Hagia Sophia |
After touring the Hagia Sophia we went back to the Blue Mosque, only to discover that it was closed for prayer again. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, otherwise known as the Blue Mosque, was built in 1616 during the reign of Ahmed I. It is called the Blue Mosque because of the blue tiles that cover the interior walls. Since we could not get inside to see the blue tiles, we just walked around outside and then left to try to find the Grand Bazaar.
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| Small Bazaar |
Our cruise on the Bosphorus River, which divides Istanbul into European and Asian sides, wasn't all that great. The food was good, but that was about it. First of all it was freezing so we couldn't be outside enjoying the view of the city lit up and secondly there was a lot of down time. When we arrived we remained docked for quite some time. There wasn't any entertainment during this time, just light appetizers. Originally I thought we were waiting for all the guests to arrive, but that turned out to be false as no one came on the boat after we did. I'm still not sure why we stayed at the dock for as long as we did. Anyway, after the boat pulled out of the dock we were served dinner and entertained by belly dancing. Real belly dancing. It was quite funny; men came out dressed as bellies and began dancing! After their brief routine the real belly dancer came out. She was quite good and her part of the show lasted about 1/2 an hour before the men came out and performed a traditional Turkish dance. After that the show was over, but the boat ride wasn't. For a long time we remained in the middle of the Bosphorus, not moving at all, just floating around. Now I suppose this would have been lovely if we could have been sitting on the deck enjoying the view, but as I said it was freezing so that was not an option. Music was being played and there was dancing, but as I am not into dancing it was not fun at all. Both Vanny and I would have been happy with just a dinner cruise instead of all the wasted time. Disappointed and tired we went back boarded the bus that would take us back to our hotel so we could warm up and get some rest for day 2 of exploring Istanbul. |
| Inside of the Blue Mosque I suppose you can see the blue tiles on the ceiling |
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| Entrance to the Grand Bazaar |
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| Topkapi Palace |
The Topkapi Palace was the primary residence for the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years. It contains some important Muslim relics, Ottoman jewelry and clothing, and richly decorated carpets. We explored the Palace for a bit, definitely not as long as we should have, but we were cold and tired so we found the nearest train station, grabbed McDonald's for dinner, and headed back to the hotel to turn on the heat and get some rest for our early morning flight to Cappadocia.
And that is the end of the first part of my journey to Turkey!
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