The setting: Although elements of Turkey reminded me of numerous places I have been before never have I visited a place quite like it. Turkey has a population of 70 million people, 12 million of which live in Istanbul. Istanbul is on the Bosphorus Strait between the Black and Marmara Seas. Istanbul is technically on both the European and Asian continents, but we spent our time on the European side. Based on landmass, Turkey is about 97% Asia and 3% Europe.
The cast: The people are 98% Muslim and speak Turkish, which is an extremely challenging language. After two weeks Becky and I could not even say the full word for thank you! People were extremely welcoming and kind. They constantly helped us find our way, often even walking us to the location. They also have a great deal of pride and Turkish flags can be seen throughout the country.
In addition to the numerous Turks we interacted with along the way, we also met heaps of New Zealanders and Aussies. I will tell a few related stories along the way and throw out some new vocabulary we learned (some will be mixed in for you to pick up on but the extra fun phrases will be explained). They were all great, and we hope to stay in touch with many of them.
The transportation: We took a hop on hop off Fez bus to get around Turkey. It was a great way to get around Turkey, because it allowed for flexible stops, lodging advice, tour guides, and meeting new people. The route was set, and we were able to decide how long we wanted to stay in each place.
The experiences: Here is a map that shows our route for the two weeks. We completed the large red loop with a 3 day sailing trip between Fethiye and Olympos. The rest of this write-up will be pictures with captions and random stories.
Istanbul: August 12, 13
We stayed in the quaint area of Sultanahmet, and it was very hot (one of the hottest summers in the past 100 years in fact). The cobblestone streets, various restaurants, colorful buildings, and views of the sea reminded me of both Boston and San Francisco.
We visited Hagia (Aya) Sophia the 537AD church built by Justinian during the Byzantine Empire. It later became a mosque in 1453, so it was interesting to see the two cultures merge in the form of wooden doors, mosaics, and marble. We also took pictures outside of the famous Blue Mosque, just across the way from Hagia Sophia.
Later we braved the enormous Grand Bazaar and wandered the complicated halls of shops. There were sections of the bazaar that housed all of the same product types: gold area, ceramics, lanterns etc. We loved the bright colored lantern and ceramics. Becky and I got amongst it and bargained with the shop owners; it was definitely my favorite bazaar.
We also learned that people in Turkey believe that evil eyes can deflect and ward off evil. The Evil Eyes were everywhere (in cars, homes, stores, featured in jewelry, and even built into walkways and roads) and came in all sizes (from smaller than a dime to the giant peepers I am sporting in this ridiculous picture).
Turkey is famous for its Turkish delights or flavorful gelatin treats among other delectable desserts like baklava, pistachio ice cream, and rice puddings. I tried them all despite my dentist’s likely dismay.
Eceabat and Gallipoli to Canakkale: August 14
We got on the Fez bus in Istanbul at 7AM and traveled through farmlands many of which were of giant sunflowers which was amazing to see.
For 9 months key WWI battles were fought between the Turks and the British, Aussie, and New Zealand Allies at Eceabat and Gallipoli. The Turks managed to win this battle extending the war and solidifying Mustafa Kemal’s (Ataturk) future leadership position in Turkey. Gallipoli is now the site for memorials for both sides of the war and the Aussies and New Zealanders celebrate ANZAC Day here annually (similar to our Memorial Day). We visited the war museum, various grave sites, trenches, and memorials. We then took a ferry to the nearby town of Canakkale where we ate at a rooftop restaurant with our new bus friends. We got to know a great Italian family from Milan (Anita Di Malta, her parents, and Nepule their traveling penguin).
Our bus driver was quite the character indeed. He was often grumpy, scolding us in Turkish (honestly I am still not sure why) and always a crazy driver. Despite it being well over a 100 degrees he would not keep the a/c on regularly and he insisted on honking more than his fair share. At one point he swerved nearly hitting an old women who shook her fist at him in a fury; we all secretly cheered on the woman. The real highlight was watching him back into a parked car causing physical damage, which he was not going to report.
Troy to Pergamum to Kusadasi: August 15
We stopped in Troy (on the Aegean Sea) to see the site where nine cities have been built on top of each other from 3000BC to 500AD (fires and earthquakes destroyed them – you would think relocation would have been an option) and the famous Trojan War occurred. There were portions of original walls from the various cities like the ones I am running by. Later, Helen of Troy would be used in a game and I pathetically failed at guessing it. It was pretty funny indeed.
After some more bus time we toured Pergamum (323BC to 129BC – Alexander the Great’s time) with our delightful tour guide that called us his dear friends. We weaved through the current town (58,000 population) of red roofed homes and original Greek homes untouchable by law. Eventually we made it up the large hill to Akropolis where the former Greeks then Romans had kingdoms there. Ancient pillars, walls, and the theater were scattered around the area.
Finally, we arrived in Kusadasi for the evening where we ate amazing doner kebabs with our Aussie bus friends Alex and Dan. We shopped the Faux Collections - Kusadasi and beyond 2010 - where Becky got a Fouie Vitton wallet and Alex scored herself some Fay Bans. We skipped the Genuine Fake Watch section though.
Kusadasi to Koycegiz: August 16
We lost 7 of our bus pals as they chose to “hop off” and spend extra time in the Kusadasi area. We did gain 8 new people including out card playing friends John and Juliet from New Zealand.
This day will provide us with laughs for years to come as we made random shopping stops. First, we filed into a leather store where we sat unexpectedly along both sides of a runway. Suddenly intense music filled the air, the lights went dim, and a very serious leather fashion show exploded before our very eyes. There were about eight models sporting various leather jackets, and then they pulled three of our bus pals from the audience to participate. John held his own as he strutted his stuff to a US pop song (Sexy B*tch). It took everything I had in my bag of tricks to fight back laughter as the show progressed. Later Becky and I tried on numerous insane leather jackets as the owner tried to sell me on Los Angeles / Hollywood style gear. The onyx factory, rug shop, and ceramic stores did not stand a chance competing with that. We did however enjoy a fruit wine tasting later that day.
Koycegiz was a delightful little town on a lake and Becky and I had one of our favorite meals at a hole in the wall. My kofte meatballs bathing in a red sauce over rice was followed up by some fresh baklava. Becky had an additional dessert of a lemon cracker soaked in my Nivea lotion which had somehow escaped by bag earlier in the luggage compartment of the bus. After lots of laughs and me learning about my lost lotion we finally slept. More Turkey to come as we hit the water. Until next time…Sarah.
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