Turkey Part II

29 December - Selçuk

The tombs of the necropolis

And so begins the tour of Classical ruins! Got up this morning and went up through Pamukkale to the ruins. Drove through most of Hierapolis to get to the travertine pools, so we did that first. The road goes right through the necropolis - hundreds and hundreds of tombs, most broken and cracked open. Would be verrrrry eerie at night!! It was the largest ancient graveyard in Anatolia, from Roman, Hellenistic, and early Christian times. 
Walked over to the top of the pools, where you have to take your shoes off to walk the very top. The water coming out is warm, but cools very quickly and if you actually go into any of the pools its really cold. The travertine terraces are made from limestone deposits from the flowing hot springs. Pamukkale means "Cotton Castle." Quite frankly, it was a bit dingy and not colorful at all - underwhelming.


Just above the cliffs is the city of Hierapolis, which was around in about 200 BC as part of the Seleucid Empire but reached its peak in around 200 AD after being conquered by the Roman ally Eumenes.  We walked up to the theater, which was built in 200 BC and seated 20,000. All things considered, its in pretty good shape! 


From there we drove a tiny further on because the guard told us there were red deposits, but it was just a cheesy resort town with a manmade fountain (though the water was steaming). We bought fruit from the local vendor on the street - 1 kg of mandarin oranges for 1 lira, 1 kg tomatoes = 1 lira, and bananas for 3L.
Drove from there to Aphrodisias, site of an ancient neolithic shrine and later the Temple of Aphrodite around 2nd century BC, when it came under the protection of Roman emperor Augustus. First, we went into the Aphrodisias Museum to see all the statues that had been found around the ruins - some were very nicely preserved; others looked like they put the wrong heads on the wrong bodies. Plus, it was FREEZING in there, somehow way colder than outside. What's left of the Temple of Aphrodite is about a dozen columns and lots of blocks. There was also a great stadium in very good shape - a long oval that could seat 30,000. 

We found a couple of the seats that had the names of patrons or families engraved on the side. Then we walked up through the ruins and up to the theater, which again was in pretty good shape. 
There was lots of ancient graffiti carved into the seats - I guess people never change!

From there we drove west through Aydin to Selçuk. Had dinner at the Keledin Hotel - a nice atmosphere but I think a bit overrated. Tomorrow we'll see Ephesis and the Temple of Artemis, which was one of the wonders of the ancient world but now is reduced to a single pillar.

30 December - Bergama
Stayed last night in the Hotel Nilya, a cute little place up in the hills of Selçuk. Very warm covers - nice!! After breakfast, drove down and spent the morning at Ephesius, one of the greatest ruined cities of the western world. Was first a Greek city in 1000 BC, but flourished as a Roman port in the AD 400s. Much of it is restored (and you can tell its not the original) but its still very impressive.
Coolest is the library of Celsus, built in AD 114-117, with two huge levels of pillars and 4 statues in the front - Sophia (wisdom), Arete (virtue), Ennoia (intellect), and Epistene (Knowledge).
Up the hill you get to the brothel, latrines, Temple of Hadrian, Gate of Hercules, and the Odeon (meeting hall, like a small theater.) We borrowed a book from the Nilya that had overlays with pictures of the ruins, and then artist renditions of that it would have looked like. Some it was impossible to imagine because almost nothing was left.

A nice place for a 200 year long nap...

After leaving Efes, we drove around the corner to the Grotto of Seven Sleepers. Supposedly, 7 youths ran into the hills to escape persecution because they were Christians, and they slept for 200 years and when they woke up the Christians were in charge. So they were safe, and they built a church on the site.

The Grotto of Seven Sleepers

Also drove up to the House of the Virgin Mary where she spent the last years of her life (and there is supposedly healing water) but it cost 11 YTL per person to get in so we decided to forgo. Drove back down the hill and stopped briefly at the Temple of Artemis, which once had 127 columns and was larger than the parthenon and is one of the 7 ancient wonders. There's really nothing left...

Whats left of the Temple of Artemis - one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

Drove out of Selçuk, through Izmir (TONS of traffic, and the toll road ends so you are on city streets for a good half hour) and came to Bergama. Went first to a hotel but they didn't seem that nice (and it was 80 lira) so we decided to go for the pension instead for 45 YTL (and they are much nicer!)

Had dinner at the local Pide (Turkish flatbread, like pizza) place across the street and when we came out it was raining. Hopefully it'll get it all out of its system tonight so that it's clear tomorrow!!

31 December - Eceabat
Started this morning at Asklepion, an ancient medical center. Drove through a Turkish military base to get there - could see rows and rows of tanks right by the road! Went in to Asklepion - made big by Galen (AD 131-210). Down the Roman Bazaar street to the Temple of Asclepios and a Roman theater. Touched the sacred well, then through the underground tunnel to the circular Temple of Telesphorus where patients would sleep in the hopes that a cure would come to them in a dream. Telesphorus's 2 daughters were Hygeia and Panacea.

Hallo, from the Temple of Trajan!

Drove through town (some very small, busy streets) to the Acropolis, up at the top of the hill. The marble columned Temple of Trajan was nice, but most impressive was the 10,000 seat theater on the side of the hill looking down onto Bergama. VERY impressive view.



Stopped at a market on the way out of town for snacks, then drove 3+ hours to Truva, the old city of Troy.


There are up to 9 different layers of ancient cities, built one on top of the other. It was probably Troy VI or VII that was the city of Kin Priam and fought the Trojan War. At the entrance is a big replica of the Trojan horse, but other than that the excavations are fairly unexciting and the site is pretty small.

Drove to Canakkale and took the ferry across the Dardanelles - the narrowest point, over to Eceabat. Goodbye, Asia!

We're staying in another hostel thats not too bad since there aren't too many tourists so we have our own room (with 4 bunk beds - 8 beds!)

Woo hoo! Last night in a cheap place!

1 Jan 2006 - Istanbul
Gorgeous hotel in a gorgeous city! We started this morning on the Gallipoli Peninsula. It's basically the gateway protecting the waterway into Asia - a peninsula jutting into the Aegean Sea creating a narrow inlet known as the Dardanelles. Whoever controlled the Dardanelles basically had control over Istanbul, which then meant control over the inlet to the Black Sea and Russia.



It was where one of the bloodiest campaigns of WWI took place - more than 300,000 soldiers from both sides as casualties.
The Allies (mostly Australia/NewZealand - ANZACs, and British, French, and Indians tried to take control of the Dardanelles on 25 April 1915 and stayed 8 months, then withdrew - a humiliating defeat for Winston Churchill. Although it's considered the Turk's greatest victory of the war, lots died from the really bad conditions and trench warfare.

Reconstructed trenches, overlooking the Dardanelles

Drove up to the Kabatepe Info Center where there is a small museum with relics from the war. Interesting was the display of bullets that hit each other (2 bullets fused together, or bullets with bullet holes in them). And a skull with a bullet lodged in the forehead. Saw the Respect to Mehmetçik Memorial, a statue of a Turkish soldier carrying a wounded Allied soldier, and saw several cemeteries including Lone Pine. Went to some reconstructed trenches overlooking the Aegean. Most of the Gallipoli Battlefields are now a National Park, and it's really pretty.

Lone Pine Cemetery

Drove from the peninsula up to Istanbul, where we returned the car at the airport. Took the metro then tram into the old city (only took 1 hr) to Sultanahmet, walked to the hotel - Empress Zoe. Its really pretty here! New wing, in a suite that is really nice. Should be comfortable for the next 3 nights. Had dinner in a nice restaurant right near the park (where the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia are). Very good food, though a bit pricey. Took a stroll on the way back, stopping in a few shops. Picked up a rice pudding to eat back in the hotel, took some night pictures of the 2 mosques, then went up to the roof of the hotel for the view - really pretty though there are a few taller buildings in the way. Tomorrow we'll wander down the Bosphorus.


2 January - Istanbul

The view of Galata Bridge from Galata Tower

What a lot of walking today! It was annoying because we kept missing things... walked in the AM to Eminönü where we hoped to catch a ferry up the Bosphorus... but missed it by about 5 minutes. Took too long trying to find the discount tickets. So instead, walked over the Galata Bridge - (THE bridge, from the card game - invented by the Brits who went back and forth across the bridge to play the game). Walked up the hill to Galata Tower - for great views across the Golden Horn to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, but the sun was in the wrong place and it was hazy.  

Walked up İstiklal Caddesi up through Taksim Square, down to Dolmabahçe Palace. But... it was closed on Mondays... so we took a taxi back up through Taksim to the Pera Palais Hotel. 

So sad, closed on Mondays...

Room 411, where Agatha Christie stayed

Saw the room where Agatha Christie stayed (and supposedly wrote Murder on the Orient Express.) The hotel used to cater to the passengers, and hasn't changed much since the 1890's. Really neat "birdcage" elevator that is open in the stairwell. Had tea and cakes in the patisserie in the hotel, and bought some old Orient Express pictures. 

From the hotel, took a taxi up to Yeniköy in the hopes of catching the ferry coming down. On the way, we saw a window with a bunch of really cool old cars (from the 30's, 40's, and 50's)... and right next to it the window had a guy washing a room full of cows. Got up to Yenikoy but the guys said the ferry didn't run that day, and that we had to walk up 2 km to the next pier. So we walked down the coast past some pretty nice area, but no pier. Walked back another 3K or so and finally took a bus to the metro, which took us back to Taksim Square.

Still had to walk quite a bit back down (stopped at McDonalds for an apple pie) and crossed back over the Galata Bridge, then wandered through the Spice Bazaar and then the Grand Bazaar (which was closing up.) Back to the hotel to drop off our things, then dinner at a seafood place that was quite popular - good salad, toasted bread, and sea bass. Then we decided to go to a hamam - Cemberlas Hamami right near the tram stop. Wonderful experience! 

We walked into the Cemberlitas Hamam from the street and there was an open sitting area. After you pay, women go to the right and men upstairs. We had a row of lockers where we change, and you take your scrub mitt and towel (thin, like a tea towel but big) and go into the next room that was starting to get warm. We went straight into the sauna area - a huge open room with a bright dome and a big marble slab in the middle. You lay on the marble to sweat for about 20 minutes, then someone comes in and scrubs you with the mitt. Some people go naked (I had bikini bottoms on) and they scrub front, back, arms and legs. A LOT of dead skin comes off and it feels kind of rough, especially on the front. Then the woman brings a soapy towel and squishes soap on you and lathers you up. You get a very short massage (only about 5 minutes) but it feels good (but tickly!) Then she brings buckets of water to rinse you and leads you to a side basin where she washes your hair. Then its done and you can lay on the slab more if you want. Its unlimited time in the sauna but its REALLY hot and steamy, and the marble is very hot. After my wash, Sibyl was already gone so I didn't stay too much longer. Had a pomegranate juice and an orange juice, then walked back.

3 January - Istanbul

The Kadesh Treaty

Another day of running around, just missing things.... we're quite slow in the mornings so lots of time is wasted. Went first to Topkapi but it was closed... so instead we went to the Archaeology Museum. Saw the Alexander Sarcophagus, which was quite elaborate, and Kadesh Treaty - the oldest known 'peace treaty' - between the Hittites and the Egyptians dating back to 1269BC. Lots of statues and relics from around Turkey. 

After the museum, had lunch at a good köfte place (aubergine kebap) but it took a while to get our food. Rushed over to the Blue Mosque to see how long they were open (there was a service going on at the time so it worked out). 
Went over to see the Hagia Sophia, which definitely is a WOW building. It originally started as a church, built by Emperor Justinian in 537 on top of an older church that had burned down in 532. It was converted into a mosque in the 15th century by the Ottomans, who added the minarets, tomb, and fountains. Walking in was absolutely amazing. Everyone just stopped and stared at the high dome (which reaches a height of 184 feet). And half of it was blocked by enormous scaffolding, but it was still SO impressive.
Went first upstairs to the gallery where we viewed the Mary Mosaics, dating to around the 10th - 12th centuries. Even though they are probably huge, they seem dwarfed by the sheer size of the building. Used to be completely covered in these tiny gold tiles, but most have fallen off. A lot was refurbished in the mid 1800's but parts (mosaic in the Vestibule of the Warriors, right at the exit, for example) was part of the cathedral's original 6th century artwork. Totally amazing!

Left the Hagia Sofia around 4:30 and knew we couldn't get into the Blue Mosque til 5:10, so we went to see the Basilica Cistern. Built also by Justinian in 532, its a huge underground vault to store water for the growing city. After the Ottoman conquest, it was forgotten and lost, and it was re-discovered when people were found to be collecting water and fish through holes in their basements. Best was in the far back where two of the columns were resting on carved Medusa heads - one sideways and the other upside down. Strange. There was lots of fish, some quite big, in the cistern.

After stopping off to get more memory for Alex's camera, we went to the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii). It's called the Blue Mosque because of the Iznik tilework in the interior. Gorgeous inside and especially picturesque outside. It was built in 1609-1616. 
We had to take off our shoes and cover our heads to get in. Stayed until closing, then had dinner at a local restaurant - Rumi - a really nice converted old home with a great view of the Blue Mosque. After dinner, Alex went to take pics and Sibyl and I looked in carpet shops. After not much haggling, I bought one for 300 USD. I'm sure I could have gotten one cheaper, but I liked the carpet and hated the haggling... and that's what I had budgeted anyway. Hopefully it won't be too hard to get it home! Fits in my bag NOW, but getting it from Cambridge to London.... who knows.)

Last visit before we leave Turkey is Topkapı Palace, home of the Ottoman sultans and their court until the mid 1800's. It was built by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror between 1460 and 1478. It's built right on the waterfront, with a great view of the Golden Horn, Bosphorus, and Sea of Marmara. At the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, it was soon after turned into a museum.







Thank you for a wonderful entry into 2006, Turkey! 

Christmas Turkey (har har) Part I

22 December - Bayramoğlu
Morning of our first day in Turkey!! But first, getting here. Left on Saturday morning from SFO - had a tight connection in NY but made the plane... too bad my bag didn't. Luckily I was going to Alex's first so I could borrow some clothes, so in the end it was great - didn't have to carry the bag all around London. Took the Picadilly line to S Kensington and met Sibyl - went to her office to drop off bags. She works in the Imperial College library which is closed and locked up on Sundays. She had a pass key to get in, but the firedoor locked on our way through. So for a while we wandered around thinking we were locked IN. I finally did the credit-card through the door trick and set us free. Had a quick crepe lunch, then to the photo exhibit at the Natural History Museum - wildlife photo of the year. Very good, with interesting pics. Then to Harrods (overwhelming!), Liberty, and Fortnum & Mason (where I stocked up on tea.) Then back to Cambridge. Next day went to Lab and Christmas lunch at Westminster College. Christmas crackers, Christmas pudding, and all.

After lunch, went to a pub, a converted brothel, next to Magdalene - pronounced Maudlin - College, with some of the people from the lab. Walked back to lab through Trinity, then home to get my bags. They delivered it promptly, so it ended up being a good thing!
The next morning, got up late and went in to London. Walked through the park to Buckingham Palace, then to Westminster Abbey. Went in for just a short time, but saw poet's corner. The memorials are packed almost on top of each other! and some that are on the ground are so worn down they can't be read anymore. Next, walked past Big Ben/Parliament down by the Thames and then tubed it to the British Museum for a few hours. Saw the Rosetta Stone, Elgin marbles, Egyptian Mummies, etc. Pic of Platform 9 3/4 at King's Crossing, then back to Cambridge for dinner with Alex and packing.

Yesterday, spent the morning getting ready and left the house around noon. We made it to Istanbul around midnight and drove for almost 2 hours to Bayramoğlu (east of Istanbul). When we left the city we needed to pay a toll at the bridge - I had old Turkish Lira (they revalued it in January 2005 and removed two zeros) that the Smileys had given me, but the toll man didn't want to take it. But he didn't speak English and we didn't speak Turkish, so after some back and forth, he got fed up and just waved us through.

The houses of Safranbolu

This morning we drove for another 4.5-5 hours to Safranbolu, a UNESCO World Heritage site and ancient Ottoman town where the houses date back to the 1600s. The town itself was settled over 5000 years ago. We checked into the Havuzlu Asmazlar Konaği, an old mansion with pool that was converted to a hotel. The room is large and in the old ottoman style, with bench seats around the side of the room.

Dining room of the
Havazlu Asmazlar Konagi

Walked down into the square past the Cinci Hamam (bath house) and up the hill, where we had a view of the city and some of the houses. They reminded me a lot of the old tudor houses, with white walls and brown beams showing through. A lot were fairly run down, and its hard to imagine anyone living there now in the cold, let alone hundreds of years ago.

Went in to the Kamakamlar Muze Evi, and old house turned museum that wasn't as nice as our hotel. Then went next door to a little hole in the wall for some tea and biscuits. Stopped on the street for bread (0.25 YTL) - still warm from the oven - mmm! and walked around town. Stopped to look at metalworks and ended up in the back of a guy's shop - talked nonstop, but bought some hooks.

Started getting really cold... had dinner at a restaurant near the mosque in town center - meatballs and yogurt soup - then walked back to the hotel. It is way below freezing right now - there is ice and snow on the ground, and I'm wearing 2 pairs of socks, long underwear, 2 cashmere sweaters under my fleece - and I was still freezing! Now we're back at the hotel for some tea - its pretty dark and feels late even though it is probably only around 7. But it gets dark early, so we'll just get early starts and get to bed!

23 December - Boğazkale

Turkish breakfast

Woke up this morning to the sound of the call to prayer-chanting from the nearby mosque. Got up an hour later to snow - lightly falling and about 2 inches on the ground. Uh oh! Cars were sliding around - so we decided not to walk around anymore and get snow chains. Had breakfast downstairs, then asked the non-english reception man to help, and it ended up that they had them delivered to us for 50 YTL. Nice! As we were wiping the snow off the car, a van on the street drove by and slid all over the road. We didn't use the chains but it was reassuring to have them. 


Took some pics at the top of the hill, then drove through Ankara to Boğazkale. Stopped at a roadside little market for cookies and bread (ate a loaf for lunch) but otherwise came straight here. Got in around 3 and checked in - it is COLD here and the pipes are frozen, so there's no running water. 

Hittite stone carvings at Yazilikaya

The hotel owner, Mustafa, came with us to Yazilikaya (meaning 'inscribed rock'), the site of 13th century BC (whaaaaa??) Hittite stone carvings - an ancient temple. It was very snowy but pretty. Hard to see some of the carvings because they were so worn down, plus it wasn't great light. But amazing how old they are!

Yep, that's me in my fort, trying to keep out the cold.

From there we drove to Hattuşa, just to see it a bit. Back to the hotel for tea, then dinner made by Mustafa's mom. All the restaurants here are closed - definitely not tourist season. Good food - lentil soup, chicken with chickpeas, moussaka, rice, and salad. Came upstairs to a freezing room that we are heating with 2 portable heaters. I'm sleeping in all my clothes and covering my head - not taking off my long underwear because I'm not exposing any body part to the air! It's only about 7pm now but we'll go to bed early because of the cold - can't do anything anyway... Yesterday's hotel was 100 YTL and today's is 35.

24 December - Göreme
What a cold night last night! Today's pension is much better, though my bath is still cold. Was wondering how the Hittites did it 4000 years ago, and Sibyl said they didn't - they just all died in the winter. It was SO cold! Had to "flush" the toilets with a bucket of water that ended up freezing overnight, but I'm sure all the pipes were frozen anyway. Woke up several times throughout the night, which was OK since I went to bed around 8 anyway. Again heard the call to prayers this morning - the cool chanting, but didn't get up til close to 8.

What's this random green
rock doing here?? 

Breakfast again downstairs with Mustafa - Turkish breakfast of bread, hard boiled egg, cheese, tomato, olives, and tea. Went to Hattuşa, the ancient Hittite City. There was a big temple, with the strange green rock that didn't look like it belonged. Can see SO many old houses or temples - they are all now just the rock foundations, about 1-2 ft. high walls. 

Behind the Sphinx's Gate

Lion's Gate, the road to Mesopotamia

It was so pretty with the snow, and we were definitely the only tourists there. Saw Lion's Gate, which lead to the road to Mesopotamia and Sphinx Gate, with 75 meter tunnel through the hillside. The entire back side was "paved" with rocks - it looked like a giant pyramid. The sphinxes are now all gone, taken to museums in Ankara, Istanbul, and Berlin. 
Hieroglyphs looked really nice with the thin layer of snow, making it easy to see. It started getting colder and was lightly snowing the whole time, so we headed out. Dropped Mustafa back at the hotel and drove out through what seemed like rural backroads down into Cappadocia. 

Left at around noon, made it to Göreme around 4. It's definitely more of a touristy town - already saw a few more tourists. LP map is terrible, but we called the hotel and someone met us at the mosque in town square. He drove us up a steep hill - very icy and Alex later asked him to drive it out and park it in the square since it was so icy and we'd never make it back down.

The view from our hotel

The hotel is built into the side of the hill and lots of the rooms look like caves. Mine is nice but not *quite* warm enough, especially since the bathroom is outside the main bedroom and is right where the door to the outside is - and that door is full of holes to the outside, so the entryway and bathroom are freezing. I may try to change rooms tomorrow but only if it is easy for them - we have 2 more nights here so I might as well by comfortable. Walked down to town for dinner - restaurant was in a 750 year old house - a historic building, with traditional food of the area - I had lentil soup, aubergine stew, and a salad. Came back to the hotel for some apple tea (yum! Like hot apple cider) and played some cards. Tomorrow, the open air museum and xmas!

25 Dec - Göreme
Happy Christmas! Spent the day exploring Cappadocia. Had breakfast in the hotel - again, traditional Turkish breakfast, though I'm not that fond of olives in the morning - a bit too strong. Switched rooms to one across from Alex's - much bigger, and more importantly, much warmer. yesterday's was cold even under extra blankets and my mummy bag, and the bathroom was awful. Much happier now!!

Went in the morning to the Göreme Open Air Museum -  a lovely park with lots of churches cut into the rock. Very pretty with the snow, and not that many tourists. Max visitors is around 300 each day, as opposed to more than 3000 during the summer. 

Dark Church

Best was the Dark Church - an extra 5 lira to get in, but really lovely frescoes. Because little light gets inside, the colors of the frescoes stay vivid. While Alex was taking pictures, Sib and I went back out and started chatting with the guard, Sami, who invited us into his little room for some Nescafe. 

In the Dark Church

Finished walking around the museum - lots more little rooms that seem to be randomly cut into the rock. A few had long tables/benches carved in - look like bathtubs with the middle still in it - and lots had little alcoves and random holes in the walls to... hold candles? Bought 20 postcards (2YTL) then drove back into Göreme - stopped at a little market for some snacks for lunch, then went out to the underground cities. 

First went to Derinkuyu - really deep (6-7 stories) where the villagers could live for 6 months at a time. They would live aboveground during times of peace and go down when being attacked. In some of the corridors there were big circular rocks that could be pushed into the corridor to block the way. Lots of interconnected rooms and corridors on all sorts of mismatched levels. Someone nailed it on the head when they described it as walking through giant Swiss cheese. 

After Derinkuyu, went to the second underground city, Kaymakli, on the way back to town. Its more spread out than Derinkuyu, but we couldn't go down quite as deep. When we came out of the city it was sunset and for the first time there was a bit of sunlight - very pretty against the rocks! Drove back to Göreme (saw a fox run across the road! Grey, but distinctly pointed face.) Stopped for  great panoramic view looking at the lights down in Göreme Valley. Stopped back at the hotel for just a bit (since it was too early for dinner), then walked down into town for dinner. 

Christmas Dinner!

Ate at Göreme Restaurant - nice atmosphere - sat on the floor with shoes off. Had a beef mixture cooked in a clay pot that they had to break to get the food out - good but had bits of clay in it. Also had lemon tea (ok, not great) and lentil soup. As we were finishing up, some live musicians started playing - one on spoons, one on a stringed instrument - then another joined on drums. Ali started talking - Ali gave us some glass beads - evil eyes. Then another woman offered us mulled wine, so we stayed to talk. Another couple came in - visiting professor from Colorado on a Fulbright. Chatted for a bit - nice to smell the mulled wine - very Christmas feel. Came back to the Kelebek for another apple tea, then to bed!

26 December - Göreme
Last day in Cappadocia! Woke up to bright sunshine and blue skies poking through the clouds! Leaving breakfast, we met a solo traveler - Jerry King, who seemed really nice - just spent a week in Syria, so we invited him to come along. Drove up to Paşabag where we saw the fairy chimneys, then went south - randomly found a monastery on the side of the road which we wandered through. We were clearly the only ones there since the snow was untouched. 

Police station

Then drove to Mustafapaşa where we thought we'd get lunch, but there are so few tourists that everything is closed. We drove around town for a bit, then continued on. Stopped for pictures every so often - once stopped in front of a school and all the kids poured out and wanted their pictures taken.

Ilhara Valley

Drove down to Ihlara Valley on some pretty snowy roads - got there around 3 (got a bit lost finding the valley entrance) so we didn't start down until about 3:30. The valley is really beautiful - just a gorge cut into the rocks, with lots of churches cut in the sides. We saw about 5 of them - very snowy and pretty on the valley floor with a river running through it. 


After about an hour, hiked back up the almost 400 steps to the top - then couldn't get the car up the hill as it was -9°c and all the melted snow had frozen over! We tried a few times to get up, then finally put on the chains (thank goodness we had them!! And thank goodness Jerry was there to help). 


Drove back to Göreme and treated ourselves to dinner at the Orient Restaurant - a posh place on the edge of town - most expensive meal yet, but good. Pumpkin soup, steak that was served flambe with lots of veggies. Very good food. But of course by then we were all cold - especially our feet since all the snow had melted and our socks were wet. So came back for a hot shower. Jerry was nice - travels a lot, and on his own - had good Alaska story about hiking with a friend who broke his leg in a prairie dog hole and had to be airlifted out via Blackhawk helicopter. Since they were well prepared and it was an accident, it was all free from the National Guard - otherwise, it's a $50K operation!

Tomorrow, off to Konya.

27 December - Konya

The main entrance to
Sultanhani Caravanserai

We're still in Central Turkey, now in a very conservative town called Konya - home of the Mevlani Sect of the Sufis - known for the Whirling Dervishes. Left Göreme this morning and drove out on the old Silk Road caravan trail. Stopped at two of the old "hans" - shelters that were like hostels for the passing caravans that were funded by the taxes paid to the sultans. Saw Ağzikarahan Caravanserai in Aksaray, built in 1231-1239, and then Sultanhani Caravanserai (1229) in Sultanhani - the largest in Anatolia. They were all built by the Seljuks in the 13th century.

Sultanhani Caravanserai

Caravanserais were built as 'roadside inns' by the Sultans for the traveling merchants going along the Silk Road. They generally had two sections - one opened and one covered. The open courtyard was used in the summertime, and the covered was for winter. Around the open courtyard are the kitchens, dining rooms, restrooms, living, and sleeping rooms.



Then drove to Konya and down to see Çatal Höyük - known as the oldest known "town" in the world, dating back 9000 years. During the Neolithic times, it was one of the largest settlements on earth, with up to 8,000 people living in it. People could raise crops and animals, as well as hunt and gather in the vicinity.
To see it, we had to ring a bell at the entrance and a guard comes out and walks us around the site. The outdoor ones are all covered in snow so they can't really be seen, but there are 2 with permanent tent/hut things built over to protect them. The city had no 'roads' - they had multiple levels and walked on roofs to go from one place to another. And no windows. Guess they hadn't been invented yet!




Drove back to Konya but not in time to see the museum. Will go to dinner soon...



28 December - Pamukkale
Went yesterday night to dinner at a popular restaurant that had lots of locals - Kösk Konya Mutfaği. Had Okra soup, lamb on aubergine, salad. Had an interesting dessert - höşmerim - a warm mix of sesame oil, flour, and syrup with pistachio sprinkled on top. Very good. Walked back in the COLD to the hotel and went to bed early so that we could get an early start. Alex wanted to wander around the city in the early morning to take pictures, but it was so hazy and too cold so we didn't get up until 7:30. Had breakfast (had some good chicken-like veggie soup too!) and went to the museum around 9.

Celaleddin Rumi came to Konya in 1228 and was known as Mevlana (meaning Our Guide). His followers were the brotherhood of the Mevlani, the Whirling Dervishes. The tomb is in the museum. 

Tomb of Rumi

Across from the museum is a large mosque - the Selimiye Camii, built in 1567. The caretaker inside, Ali, was really friendly (lots of hugs and kisses.). Drove out of Konya - hard to find the way but made it out, on the southern (wrong) road. So we went on a small backroad to get to Beyşehir, but it was nice and drove us through a small village. 

Drove into Beyşehir at noon, right during call to prayer, so we wandered around the outside then poked our heads into the Eşrefoğlu Camii, a beautifully restored mosque built by the Seljuk Turks in the 13th century. Inside was cedar wood, pillars and carvings. Again, really nice guys showed us around and one sang the call to prayer for us.
We continued driving and made it to Pamukkale before dark. Staying in the Allsgau Pension - the owner is cooking dinner for us.

Just came back from dinner and walk. The hotel owner, Umi, made it for us and we ate in her house, on the 1st floor of the hotel. Her 2 daughters were there, ages 5 & 8, and were obviously very used to strangers. Very open and liked to show off. Dinner was very good - meatballs, salad, rice, and soup. 

After dinner, we went up to the travertine pools that are open 24 hours and lit at night. Can't see too much though, and since we're at the bottom, it's hard to see what the pools are actually like. Have to be higher up to actually see INTO the pools. On the way out we stopped to talk to the entry guard, Fazul, who like to talk and invited us in for tea. He bets on horses and makes thousands - bought his car, TV, and laptop with his winnings. Stayed and talked to him for almost and hour and had some tea. He liked to talk and was obviously bored as we were the only visitors for the night 

Generally, it seems the guards here are really friendly, especially I think because it is the off season and there aren't too many people coming though. Its interesting just talking to random people and I think now (this time of year) they are more likely to take the time to chat.

Tomorrow we'll go back to the travertine pools (Fazul put tomorrow's date on our entry tickets so that we could use them again - so nice!)