For I must be travelling on, now...

Time to go home. Fortunately we still have the morning free for some last minute shopping, so we risk our lives yet again by getting a taxi to the Taksim area.  It's half past nine, and already the streets are buzzing. Don't these people ever sleep?

I could bore you with some shopping trivia, but perhaps a few random interesting or practical bits of information would be more useful, so here goes:

• Whilst we never really visited areas in Turkiye that were not on the "tourist route", we did sometimes wander a little further afield. Not once did we feel unsafe or worried that we were possibly in a dicey area.
• Food was often different to what we are used to. Sauces in stews are more watery, dishes are seldom overly rich. But we seldom, if ever, felt that something would have been unedible. 
• We have learnt to really enjoy Halva, Apple tea,  Aubergines (I would have to exclude myself on this one), Turkish pizzas and Baklava.
• Drinking alcoholic drinks in Turkiye can get expensive because of excessive taxes added to alcohol. However, tea is something that everyone drinks. Everywhere. If you spend more than 5 minutes in a shop, the owner offers you tea.
• We found the Turks friendly, hardworking, and extremely proud of their country.  They are working hard at building their country, and it shows. 
• Having said that, we saw areas where we thought the litter and rubble really spoilt the countryside or city streets.
• We saw very little, if any, graffiti. The goverment is really working hard at preventing this.
• Washrooms were often places of great discussion, mostly because we are in no way used to the squat toilets. While I don't think I ever saw washrooms where the floors were completely dry, they were always clean, with at least one normal toilet available. 
• Roads were generally good, although we would probably not consider driving ourselves around Turkiye, mostly because of language issues. And we would definitely not venture to drive in the cities, especially not in Istanbul.
• Turks like to clean their cars. Every time we stopped for lunch or a comfort break, our bus got washed. If we saw a dirty bus, the number plates indicated that it was not a Turkish bus. 
• March should normally be one of the best months to visit Turkiye. It is not that busy, and the weather is usually not too cold. We experienced some very cold weather, but that was apparently unusual for March. 

Some other interesting facts:

• Turkiye produces 90% of the worlds hazelnuts. If you enjoy nuts, you wold be in nut heaven.
• Turkiye has the 4th largest army in the world. With their neighbors, I guess they need this.
• St Nicholas, aka Santa Claus, was born and lived in Demre, Turkiye.
• If you think that Tulips are actually from Amsterdam, you're wrong. They are actually from Turkiye
• Lake Tuz is the second largest lake in Turkiye. Tuz means salt, which means that it is a salt lake. Its maximum length is 80km, with the maximum width being 50km. Yet the maximum depth is 150cm. You can walk through the entire length of the lake. You may be a little pickled, though. 

Various people have asked whether we would go back to Turkiye. I almost feel like it is an unfair question. Turkiye was never really even on my list of countries to see. Travelling by means of an organised tour was definitely not on my list. Did I enjoy it then? Most definitely. Ilker gave us so much useful and fascinating insights about his country and his people, something we would most definitely not have had if we did a tour on our own. Would I recommend the tour to others? Most definitely. Especially if you enjoy history and archaeology. Would I visit Turkiye again? Maybe.

Colors go waltzing in time...

14 March 2012

It is our last official day of the tour. It's hard to believe it's over, yet it feels as if it has been weeks.

We get to sleep in a little, which is welcome. Our first stop today is the Blue Mosque. Also known as the Sultanahmet Camii, it was completed in 1616. Why then "Blue"? I have now heard two stories. The one being that it is because of the blue tiles used for the mosaics inside.  Ilker tells us that, during the afternoon, when the sun shines through the windows, there is a blue hue inside the mosque. I find this a lot more believable, especially looking at all the non-blue tiles used in the mosaics.

Opposite the Blue Mosque you will find the Hagia Sophia Museum. The current structure was initially built as an orthodox basilica in around 530AD, around 1100 years before the Blue Mosque was built. It remained a church until Sultan Mehmed laid siege  to Constantinople (Istanbul), decided to convert the entire city to Islam and covered all the frescoes and paintings inside the building. The good news, however, is that they covered it by first whitewashing the walls, and then covering them with cement. They had a few more problems though. Mosques usually need to face the correct way in order for the prayers to be directed at the right place. The Hagia Sophia did not quite cater for this, but with a few small adjustments, they managed to use the basilica as a mosque until 1935 when the nation's hero, Ataturk, decided to transform it into a museum.  And because the frescoes were covered the way they were, they have been able to restore them to their former beauty.

During lunch, we spent some time walking around the fascinating streets in the surrounding area, while Niel satisfied his engineering interests by visiting the Basilica Cistern. This ancient underground cistern was built in the 6th century. It is called the Basilica Cistern, because of the great basilica that used to stand in its place. The roof of the cistern is supported by 336 columns, each over 8 meter high. Two of these columns have head bases that depict Medusa's head, although the one head is upside down, and the other on its side. It is believed that these bases were plundered from earlier monuments, although it is not quite clear why they are not the right way round.

After lunch we took a short stroll to the Topkapi palace. Built between 1459 and 1465, this was the principal residence of Mehmet II, and remained the home of sultans for over 400 years. When the Ottoman empire collapsed in 1912, this palace was turned into a museum, and now houses displays of some of the precious objects, weapons and dresses of the sultans. We were all struck by the size of some of the dresses/coats. One of the best treasures has to be the Spoonmaker's Diamond, an 86 Carat Diamond said to be found by a poor fisherman who traded it for 3 wooden spoons.

A dinner at a restaurant overlooking the Bosphorus marked the official end of our tour. I loved the way Ilker described his feelings of excitement at the start and end of each tour. He simply loves how he gets a busload of people, a busload of lives, a busload of world, and ending with family of friends, who share so many special memories.  We  share a good meal, good memories and laughs, and contact details, and then glumly allow the bus to drive us back to the hotel for the last time.

Seeing that it is still early, we decide to try and visit the Galata Tower to get a view of the city at night. With the assistance of the hotel staff, we manage to get a taxi to take us. What an experience. We have seen the mayhem of Istanbul traffic from the safety of our bus. Being in a taxi that whizzes between lanes, choosing the smallest of gaps to try and get ahead of the next car, can be hair-raising.  But we managed to get to Galata Tower in one piece. Unfortunately, the tower was already closed for anything other than an 80 Euro dinner deal. Once again, language got in our way. The conversation went something like this (there was some form of a reception desk with two mildly friendly Turks willing to provide some assistance):

Us: Can we go up into the tower?
Turk: Tower closed  (Pointing at notice board with "operating" hours). You come tomorrow.
Us: Okay, but is there somewhere where we can see the view over the city?
Turk: Yes, you see from tower
Us: So can we go up in the tower then?
Turk: No, tower closed, you come tomorrow
Us: Okay. So where can we go to see a view of the city
Turk: You see from tower
Us: So can we go up in the tower then?
Turk: No, closed, you come back tomorrow
Us: *sigh*

Eventually we managed to get the name of a restaurant a little further down the hill, so we set off down the narrow streets. I'm not sure whether it was skill or pure luck, but we found the restaurant, allowed ourselves to be hoisted up in the tiny lift, and stood completely astounded by the beautiful views from its roof. I just love seeing cities at night.  If they get the lighting correct, it can be just magical. Istanbul is like that at night. Magical.

From the rooftop cafe, we walked back down Istiklal Cadessi, the shopping boulevard of Taksim. It was now after 10pm, and the street was about as busy as Adderly Street, Cape Town at the opening of the festive season. And this was only a normal late-winter Wednesday evening. We have been told by various people that Istanbul has a great vibe. One of the Portuguese ladies on the tour kept saying that Istanbul was a lot busier than New York can ever be. Earlier, Ilker drew some comparisons for us.  If you are walking in the street, and you bump into the back of someone, in Istanbul, that person would be too busy to notice, so would not say anything. In Izmir, that person would apologize to you for bumping into them, and in Ankara, that person would pick a fight with you, because he is not busy rushing off somewhere. Istanbul is just one very busy city. You can see it everywhere. In Ilker's words - Istanbul is an untidy city, with some kind of balance.

Izika Zumba Zumba Zumba

13 March 2012

We are heading back to Istanbul. This means that our tour is almost over. Humph.

The drive is not very far, and includes a short ferry ride that prevents us from having to make a rather long detour around the bay just below Istanbul. During our time here, people have often mentioned the number of people living in Istanbul. The number always varies. Usually by 10's of millions. It starts with 16 million, but sometimes goes way over 20 million. The problem is that the city was not built for this number of people. One of the first things that shows this, is traffic, and shortly after we cross the Bosphorus bridge, we hit the traffic, so actually getting to our destination takes a great deal longer than hoped for. We are astonished to see that there are street vendors halfway up the freeway selling things.

Our first destination back in Istanbul is the Grand Bazaar. Kamil, our very capable bus driver, has to squeeze the bus through narrow streets laden with excessive traffic and pedestrians, a task that he  accomplishes with great ease. The Grand Bazaar is situated in the historic part of town, close to other large tourist attractions, like the Blue Mosque. A series of narrow streets  lead up to this very busy shopping mecca. Ilker gives us the rundown of the where's and how's, and then sets yet another busload full of retail-hungry foreigners loose.

It is overwhelming. A maze of little shops manned by eager Turks who know just about every trick in the book to lure you inside their shops. The first question is always "Where are you from?". Some guess, based on what you have been speaking. Some immediately get the Afrikaans, and then recite some of the Afrikaans terms they have cunningly picked up from other tourists. I'm quite sure these are tricks of Marketing 101. Make any connection to the prey that you can possibly think of, to at least get them talking. You hear things like "Ahh, South Africa. Bafana Bafana". Or "Ahh, South Africa. Charlize Theron" (this one admittedly surprised us!). Or "Ahh, South Africa. I have lived in your country for 2 years." They often use this last line. If you had to quietly sit and watch one of them for a day, you would probably find that he has lived in other countries for more years than what his age is.


Initially, we figure that our three hours would be sufficient to spend in the Grand Bazaar. We could have spent a lot more. In time and money! But a Bosphorus cruise awaits.

The temperature in Istanbul is a bit higher than that of Cappadocia, yet we feel a great deal colder here. The boat used for the cruise along the Bosphorus strait fortunately has a warm cabin with a little coffee shop, so we are able to get some warm apple tea, the drink that we have come to love in Turkiye. I braved the elements for a while on the top deck for some photo's, but very quickly preferred the warm cabin. The Bosphorus is a great way of seeing life in Istanbul, albeit mostly luxury life. It is considered a huge privilege to be able to own a house on the Bosphurus. Mostly because of the fact that the Bosphorus is really a sea, not a river. You don't really get cities that has a sea running through it. The most expensive house sold here, was sold to a Russian, the owner of the Chelsea football team. He bought the house for USD 240million. We wondered about the way the houses were built so close to the water. The natural concern would be - what about flooding. But because this is not a river, that is not an issue. But what about tides then? Well - this is not a major ocean, so their are no tides either. Or at least no major differences in water levels. You do however need a special license to steer a ship through the strait. We saw one ship being towed by a tug boat. Clearly an unlicensed captain.

We end the day off with a Belly Dancing show. These organized shows for tourists can admittedly be rather cheesy, so we went with some apprehension. Judging from the faces of the musicians providing the background music, the apprehension sky-rocketed. The show was great. We are told that we were privileged to see Turkiye's best bellydancer. We also saw some other traditional dances, as well as a singer who proceeded to sing a song from each country represented in the audience. He quickly dubbed our table the United Nations, and then proceeded to sing a Zulu song for us South Africans.

Izika Zumba Zumba Zumba.

He's King Midas in reverse...

12 March 2012

It snowed a little overnight. We remain hopeful to actually witness some snowfall.

We depart a little earlier this morning to miss the peak hour Monday morning traffic in Ankara. Today is the longest stretch of road that we have to cover. We are going to Bursa.

I guess it goes without saying that, if you put a whole bunch of people together on a bus, it would only be a matter of time before personalities start clashing. On organized tours like this, they like people to rotate the seating on the bus. Every day, you are supposed to move along two seats. It's not a law, but a friendly suggestion. Fortunately, we are always one of the last people on the bus, and so we miss the seat fights. We hear from various sources that these can get quite personal. I'm pleased that we are never part of this. There really are better things to do than bicker about a seat on a bus. In general, we quite like our traveling companions. There are the two refreshingly friendly sisters from the east coast of Canada,  a very nice lady from Florida, who seems to spot al the spot-worthy things and then ensures that we get to see them too. Amongst the Australian contingent, we have Peter, who calls himself Peter the Pebble, because he is way too small to be called Peter the Rock, with his very sweet and sincere wife. Peter's brother and his wife are also on the tour, equally friendly, but you would never say that these two varying-sized men are related. And then of course there are the jovial Portuguese/American contingent. And let's not forget the Kiwi's, who so badly wanted his team to beat us  at the cricket. Pity rain prevented us from proving him wrong.

On the way to Bursa, we stop in Gordion at the burial mound said to house the tomb of King Midas. So now here you should recognize two things. Gordion, as in Gordion knots. And King Midas, as in the legend of Midas, whose touch turned everything to gold. It seemed that the greedy Midas did not really think clearly when he got to choose what special powers or miracle could be bestowed on him. At first, he was quite impressed with his special powers, but very quickly, he realized that he had a bit of a problem. He could not eat, as the food would simply turn to gold. He could also not touch his family or wife (or girlfriend). Greed seldom pays off…

In order to get to Bursa, we have to head over some mountains again, and once again, we see lots of snow. We are told that by now, most of the snow should have melted already, yet, the scenery around us seems to turn whiter and whiter. Eventually, after our lunch stop, the scenery is so beautiful, that we ask for a special stop to take some photo's of the snow-laden trees around us. And then, finally, the universe obliged. It started to snow. Personality clashes or not - a busload full of people can very quickly turn into a bunch of kids when presented with these conditions. Excepts, of course, for those who are used to snow. But they patiently understood our foolishness, and allowed us our fun in the snow.

Bursa used to be the capital of the Ottoman Empire. It has more mosques and tombs than any of the other cities in Turkiye. Our first stop here is the Green Tomb, the tomb of Mehmet I. The one thing you can be sure of in these type of buildings, would be the exquisite mosaic tiles.

We also visit Ulu Camii, the Great Mosque. This massive building was built between 1396 to 1399 - a mere three years. We arrive at the mosque in time for the afternoon prayer, and we feel a bit awkward invading on these private moments of the local people. From what we understand, Muhammed preferred for mosques not to be decorated with elaborate paintings. Fortunately, the Arabic language lends itself nicely to the art of Calligraphy, and this is used extensively inside the mosque. Even though I don't understand any of the writing, I find the way it is used to "decorate" the mosque just so beautiful.

Next to the Great Mosque is a bustling shopping area, and more specifically a Silk Bazaar. Silk is one of the things that Bursa is famous for, and they are very proud to have had Queen Elizabeth doing some shopping here. We were able to spend some time in this bazaar. We found it quite astonishing to see one scarf shop after another. It is almost impossible to pick one, and if you just remotely look like you want to look at something, you very quickly end up with a mountain of scarves draped over the shop counter. They do have some beautiful products, though.

We opt for a quiet late afternoon. It's cold and wet in Bursa, and we figure that we should rather get some rest. Tomorrow, we get to go to the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. We will need all the strength we can get!

Baby, it's cold outside

11th March 2012

Today we leave for Ankara, the capital of Turkiye. The country's capital was moved to Ankara in the 1920's by Ataturk.

Just before we leave Cappadocia, we stop at a ceramic factory. It's great to suddenly see how some of the pottery items that you find at all the stalls, are made.  We are fortunate to see one of the best artisans make one of the beautifully shaped traditional wine jugs on a kick wheel. This in itself is an art that not many people can perfect, I would think. But seeing the actual artists paint the very delicate patterns on these items was just astonishing to see. Some of the patterns are so very fine, and their artwork is so flawlessly perfect, that it must have taken years to perfect. Yet, some of the artists looked like mere school kids.

The drive to Ankara is long enough to allow for some good nap time on the bus. But Ilker also tells us a few interesting facts about the country and its people. In the Turkish tradition, females continue to have children until she has a boy. They strongly believe that there has to be a boy in the family in order to continue with the bloodline. We are even told about a man who, when asked how many children he has, responded that he was unfortunate to have no children. He only had three daughters. These clearly are not seen as children.

We are also told that the Turkish government has separated politics from religion. So you did not have to be Muslim in order to become a minister or politician. This, however, brought about another law. If you are working at a government institution, you are not allowed to wear anything that represents your religion. So those Turkish women who prefer to say cover their hair, are not allowed to do this. This is of course seen by most Turkish people as discrimination. Fortunately, they have found some way around the covering of the hair bit. They simply wear wigs. And we thought the saying was "A boer maak 'n plan".

In Ankara we spend some time at the Ataturk Mausoleum. A huge monument and museum built in around 1944 to honor Turkey's very beloved president. Even though Ataturk was actually born in Greece, he ended up being Turkey's biggest hero. Everywhere you go, you see something that honors him. And this massive monument reinforces the love and appreciation that this country has for him. At the museum, soldiers from the army, airforce and navy guard and patrol the area. We are told that if you really want to upset the Turks, you should damage this monument, which is why security around the monument is so intense. There are also some glass cages in which the soldiers have to stand at attention for an hour. They may blink and breath, but other than that, they have to be dead still. They see this as an honor to be able to show their deep respect for Ataturk, so they gladly do this. When the hour is up, the trade places by doing a rather animated slow march, and then get back into their glass cages, and do it all over again.

One more museum to see. The Museum of Anatolian Civilization. Sadly, I have very little to say about this museum. I did enjoy some of the exhibits, especially the various versions of the Hitite  deer figures, and the sun disk dating from the Bronze era, but the highlight of this visit was the very few snowdrops that fell while we were waiting outside for the rest of the group.

At our hotel, we quickly check in, and then set off on a walk to the city centre. We are surprised at how busy the shops and streets are, considering that today is a Sunday. It's also very refreshing to be walking in the cold. On our way back, we take note of an electronic board that alternates the time and temperature. It is 2 degrees.

It's cold.

Up, Up and Away...

10th March 2012

A small bus picks a few of us up at 05h40 to take as to Göreme. 

Let me first explain about Cappadocia. It really is a region in the Nevsehir Province, with the most fascinating landscapes. Vulcanic eruptions that happened about 9 to 3 million years ago, caused various layers of sedimentary rocks to form.  These rocks then eroded over the centuries, forming the most unearthly type of landscape of pillars and mushroom-shaped towers. Add to this the fact that the people would carve their houses and temple out of the rock and underground, and you end with the most spectacular scenery. A few small villages are dotted around the area. These villages blend in nicely with the scenery, and in some places, buildings are merely extensions to the rock formations.

We stop in Göreme for a simple but welcome breakfast of bread rolls, bread sticks and a fairly dry sweet cake with a choice of coffee, tea, or our new favorite apple tea. As we look out over the valley, we excitedly watch the start of it. The early morning hot air balloons that silently raise their hefty bulges over this beautiful landscapes.

If you ever have the opportunity to come to Turkiye, the one thing you should definitely do, is this hot air balloon ride over Cappadocia. Apart from the excitement of the actual ride, the ability to silently glide over such exquisite landscapes is indescribable. The balloons are able to drop down to levels where you are almost certain that they would hit one of the rocks, only to then rise up so high that all the other balloons diminish into insignificance beneath us. We glide over valleys, bush vineyards and villages where dogs bark at us excitedly.  From the air we can see the chimneys of the underground dwellings, and as the various balloons reach the end of their journeys, we watch how they land perfectly. When it is eventually our turn to land, we all hold our breath as the pilot attempts to land on top of the trailer. He almost does, but overshoots a little. But they maneuver it with some hot air and some elbow grease to load it on the trailer. Disembarking is even more ungraceful than the embarking process. There are two holes on the side of the basket for you to use as a step ladder. But this time, climbing down the other side now also entails stepping off the trailer. But a friendly Turk is ready and waiting to lift us down, while his colleague is ready with the champagne and orange juice to celebrate the fact that we are still alive. :) The only expression I can think of to describe it all - Oh Wow!

Back at the hotel, we quickly get ready to depart on the days outing. We basically spend the day driving around the area, stopping in various places to look at the landscape and "fairy chimneys" The area really is just such a beautiful one.

We also stop at a turkish carpet factory and a jewelry  factory and store. We are shown how the turkish ladies make their carpets. They are particularly proud of the fact that their carpets are made with double knots. Watching the ladies make these double knots, however, is near impossible. The swiftness with which they pick the correct vertical thread around which they should be tying this knot based on the compacted pattern in front of them, is just astonishing. You almost don't notice that they then also cut the piece of wool with a sharp knife. I could have stood for hours watching these lady create these beautiful masterpieces.

After a day of exploring the region with the group, we decided to take a local bus into Göreme. It certainly was quite different to be part of everyday life. Göreme is a lovely little village, and we stopped by a local coffee shop for some hot chocolate. We were very fortunate to have the local baker deliver fresh baklava while we we in the coffee shop. Needless to say - we had to try it. It was truly delicious.

After supper, we decided to try the Turkish Bath experience. We were extremely apprehensive, but really felt that it would be cheating to visit Turkiye, and not have this experience. So, to explain the ritual - you first take a shower. Then you sit and boil in the sauna for about 10 minutes. That was just pure torture, although the eucalyptus in the water that you sprinkle on the excruciating hot rocks did help my pending cold, I hoped. Just as you think you cannot possibly handle any more heat, you are ushered off to the steam room. At least here the marble seats provided for some cooler conditions, so we were happy to spend our allotted time there. Then, they whisk you off to the turkish bath. A room with a flat surface in the middle, and some seating and small marble basins around the side where people can sit and wash themselves. And then…. Uhm…. Well - they proceed to wash you. Or is it peeling… They use a silk glove with which they wash you. The intention? To peel about two layers of skin off you. They certainly did, but it was an experience that I was happy to have had.  Will I do it again? Maybe.

It has been a long, but awesome day.

Round and around we go...

9th March 2012

A word of advice to prospective hotel builders - please ensure that there are sufficient lifts.

We didn't really like Konya. Not that we saw much of it, but the hotel was enough to put us off. I actually felt like I was in some blingy place like Dubai. The worst frustrations came when we tried to go downstairs for breakfast. We waited for 15 minutes to get a lift, and eventually had to catch one going up, just so we could at least be in it on the way down. It also did not stop on our floor on the downward trip.

Today we travel to Cappadocia. This is not the kind of place that I was aware of before our decision to go to Turkiye, but I very quickly knew that it would be one of the highlights of our trip. But first, we had to get there. Fortunately, it was not a very long trip, and with the regular stops, the traveling never feels that long.

Our first stop was at a Kervansaray. An Inn where travelers could rest, and also feed their camels, donkeys or horses. So for all those people that would be traveling between Asia and Europe, these inns would provide safe shelter and food for the night. The distance between these inns would never be more than 40km, because that is all that a donkey could handle in one day. In the good old days, the owners of these inns would also provide a sort on insurance. So if your donkey would kill over while you are staying over, they would provide you with a new one.

Our next stop was an underground city. Yes, a city. It is said that there are about 36 underground cities in this region, and that one of them alone was thought to house about 20 000 people. The city consists of a series of underground chambers on various levels linked by passages that, at times, are so narrow and low that you have to bend over double to get through them. Safety seemed to be one of the biggest reason for these cities, although the fact that you could simply carve yourself a place to stay under the ground, and not have to pay for the piece of ground you were then living in, was probably also a good motivation.

After lunch we were told that we would be visiting an open-air museum. The word "museum" made us all cringe a little. Until we arrived at the Goreme Open-Air museum. It is home to the greatest concentration of rock-cut chapels and monasteries in Cappadocia. These chapels mostly date back to the 9th century, and are all carved out of the soft volcanic rock. Inside the churches are frescoes depicting scenes from the Bible. And the landscape around this museum is unlike anything you can ever imagine. It's almost like being on another planet.

The last stop of the day was to see the Whirling Dervishes in action. I quite like the philosophies of these dervishes, and enjoyed seeing their whirling ritual. The ritual involves some praying, and continuous whirling with their hands raised upward, one hand facing up to receive the blessings from the gods, the other facing downwards to pass it on to the land and the people. Their whirling clearly had a calming effect on most of the people watching, as I could see many of them dosing off.

Tonight needs to be an early night. Tomorrow will be a very special day!