2023-Turkey

 

Turkey-October 2023

Photos - https://link.shutterfly.com/AyZ0xsWyfEb

After the 2-week cycle tour in the Balkans, I flew to Turkey for two weeks touring the sculpted, desert Cappadocia region, two coastal cities on the Aegean Sea and finally the huge, historic city of Istanbul.  Some Turkey reflections: Stray cats are everywhere. Colorful, powdery Turkish fruit tea tastes yummy, because its flavored sugar. Mosques are everywhere; thus you will be awakened at 6 a.m. with their mega-speakers. No matter how poor and small a community, there will be a nice mosque.

Historical UNESCO Cappadocia region is home to the development of early Christian philosophy. I landed in Kayseri, known as Caesarea in Biblical times. I stayed in tiny Goreme, next to the 24,000 acre Goreme Nat'l Park bounded on two sides by extinct volcanos. Volcanos sculpted valleys, mountain ridges and pinnacles known as "fairy chimneys". The early Christian inhabitants (starting in 3rd century) hollowed out the soft rock to cut houses and churches to live. Underground cities were created to hide from Byzantine attackers. The best way to view it? By hot air balloon for sunrise. Joining 154 other balloons, our basket of 18 people floated so soft, quiet and gentle going down among the carved valleys then up to 7,000' for one hour. Our expert pilot gave a gentle landing then his crew appeared to help guide our basket onto the trailer. Capped with champagne, of course.

Getting a closer look at the fairy tale landscape, I rented a mountain bike with a guide for the day. Biking to the top of the volcanic mountain ridges on deep-cut single track included some "hike-a-bike". Climbing into the structures to view the remains were rock-cut rooms, steps and carvings. Stables for animals were usually underground. Tandir ovens were cut into the floor. An area by the kitchen was to tread grapes for wine. When the monasteries were later abandoned, the doors were covered, and the open windows used for pigeon houses to collect the guano for fertilizer.

Next flight was to sunny, 70+ degree, 1.3M city of Antalya, on the crystal clear Aegean coast. Staying in the historic old town with endless restaurants, bars and shops near a harbor, included a boat cruise of the shoreline and mountains across the bay.  Evening street vendors sell fresh mussels with rice and spice inside to top off with a squeeze of lemon. Live music is plentiful. I check out a Turkish Hamman (bath) which I decide is highly over-rated although, culturally interesting. Even families are welcomed to join in the Turkish Hamman (bath) experience. The various steps of a 2-hour Turkish bath, includes the shuttle of you and other hotel guests to/from the Hamman. First you lay with five other women (wearing only panties) on a hot, hard, marble slab and sweat. Then you go to a sauna and sweat. Then you go to a steam room and sweat. Then you lay on another hard marble slab while a sweaty, smelly woman scrubs you with a brill-o pad. Next is the bag of bubble bath engulfing you in bubbles. Then she dumps much-o buckets of water over you. Finally, sitting in a waiting area, with a bunch of other sweaty women, we cool off with hot apple juice.  Final step is a 15-minute Swedish (wimpy) massage where gal dumps a gallon of vegetable oil over your body. At last, the shuttle drops me back at my hotel so I can take a soothing shower and wash off all the greasy oil. Needless to say, I did not repeat the Hamman experience. I did check out their anthropological museum which was room after room of marble statutes including some recovered using the NY attorney general, which had been illegally removed from Turkey and ended up in NYC.

 Next up, a 4-hour bus ride from Antalya along the gorgeous coast, and I'm in Kas, Turkey (pop 8,400), a touristy old-town on the Aegean Sea. There’s a plethora of tourist activities. Day one, I chose a day-long 5-mile kayak tour which goes over the sunken city of Kekova. Sunken, due to an earthquake. We go swimming in a cove, stop at a village for lunch and take a short hike to a castle.  Driving there, we come across a herd of 100+ goats on the road. The shepherd was in the rear and a large dog in the front. In this valley are 100+ greenhouses made of plastic to grow vegetables to supply much of Turkey with tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, etc, Joining me are three Russians. They left Russia when the husband was likely headed to war in Ukraine. As they shared, many Russians escaped to "cheap living" countries i.e. Turkey, Thailand. Their plan is to eventually move to Serbia and receive a visa that will allow them to settle in Portugal. For him to go back to Russia would be like playing "Russia Roulette".

Day two, I rented a 125cc scooter for 100 Turkish Lira which is $3.60 for a 24-hour period! What a deal! I spent the day exploring the mountain roads. I saw an old lady with her herd of goats. I met some guys stranded with their moto-taxi. With no English, I thought they were asking for a lighter. After our photo session, I realized they were asking for a spark plug. Duh! Don't have that either. The most exciting was meeting the one Scott and four Belarus men that just hiked off the Lycian Way footpath to go to the nearest village to find a food and a bed for the night. The Lycian Way is acclaimed to be one of the world’s top 10 long-distance walks. It’s a 470 mile, 35-day way-marked footpath around the coast of ancient Lycia in southern Turkey. The Lycian people existed from the 15th century BC until 546 AD when they were dispersed and their language became extinct. The trail consists mainly of Roman roads, old footpaths, and mule trails, often hard and stony underfoot. I took my scooter on some more mountain roads then headed back to the village to spend some time with the hikers and learn about their adventure. The English-speaking Scott is doing half the trail in a 2-week period. His pack is half the size of the Belarus' packs yet, he is carrying a tent, pad and silk bag while the Belarus are counting on finding an "authentic" bed each night. In these parts, an authentic stay is very rudimentary with a squat toilet and water hose. Two days from now, their trail section will be very steep and will take 8.5 hours with no water available to filter. With 80-degree temps, they plan to carry 3 liters of water. Not my idea of fun!

 
Final stop, four nights in Istanbul, a city of 15 million, the world’s 15^th largest city and the world’s 8^th most visited city. Founded by the Byzantium Greeks in the 7^th century then conquered by the Romans in 330, it was key in the advancement of Christianity. Then conquered by the Ottomans in 1517, it became, and still is, an Islamic stronghold. Today, it is 90% Muslim. I found the people to be warm and welcoming. Sitting on a peninsula, it straddles two continents. One afternoon, I took a ferry to explore the Asian side. The biggest difference I noticed was many fresh flowers vendors on the sidewalks. `Having a hotel only a block away from the major sights allowed me to visit early or late, not standing in long lines. Mosques (Blue Mosque and Hagia Sopia) and a palace (Topkapi) stir wonder at how such magnificent buildings were constructed with their rudimentary tools. Let’s not forget the harem, originally 400 rooms, built in the palace for enjoyment by the Sultans, starting in the 1400’s, sporting women, and eunuchs, collected from various kingdoms and countries.

            Touring the Roman Cistern, largest of hundreds of ancient (6^th century) cisterns beneath Istanbul, it is 490’ underground built for holding water the city’s water supply. The cathedral-sized cistern is supported by 336 marble columns, 30’ high. Capable of holding 2.8M cubic feet of water, transported via aqueduct from a forest 12 miles away, it was the most comprehensive hydraulic engineering system of its time. Very little water is held there now. Instead, a metal pathway winds through the cistern for tourist viewing.

            Istanbul is also a popular medical treatment destination, perhaps #1 for men’s hair transplants. Walking around, I notice them in various stages. The first stage is a complete shave then bandages covering the bottom half of the head with the bald area painted red. Later stage, the bandages are removed, the red is gone and there is a black athletic headband. On the plane, the men’s skull shave is re-growing and you notice the area that has the transplants.

            As a tourist in the old city, it was difficult walking touristy areas without calls of “Lady”, “Mademoiselle”, “Madame”, “Hello”, etc. would you like to taste some tea? Let me show you, my carpets. Please, please, have a taste of our Turkish Delight (yummy candy in a roll). While prices of many items are cheap for Americans, nice Turkish carpets could easily be $2,000 for a 5’x7’.  Or $200 for a silk scarf. I settled for a mosaic hanging lamp and two paintings for souvenirs.

            Culturally, one evening I viewed a Turkish dance performance. Bring ear plugs! The next night’s performance was a solemn, slow moving Whirling Dervishes.  Five men in white robes and conical hats that spin in circles as a form of prayer until they reach a religious ecstasy. They were founded by the mystic poet Rumi in the 13^th century.