A lot of people asked if we became sick while traveling, so while it wasn't horrible, we both did have our share of a few ailments but I like to think our stomachs are pretty good to adjusting, having grown up overseas and used to eating street food.
Bali, Indonesia: Sabeen and I decided to rent a moped to explore the island and the plan was to just get one and share like the locals...actually the locals manage to get 5 or so people on one but we decided what the heck and the price was good. The moped looked solid and it was automatic, so wouldn't have to mess with gears. I hopped on it, seemed comfortable. Here was my mistake, I should have test ridden it, especially with the two of us on it. Instead, I paid the guy, Sabeen got on the back and we were off, almost anyway. I didn't start off so well, the traffic was bad, so weaving in and out was impossible. I somehow managed to get to the end of the road and stopped at a red light. I was nervous, so as the light turned green, I gave it gas, maybe a little to much, and the bike went with Sabeen barely holding on and me trying to stop it. Luckily, we ran into a curb, where a concerned policeman came running over and shut off the engine. Embarrassingly, I walked the moped back to the shop owner, who refused to refund me the money as my 10 minutes of riding had apparently equated to the entire day's rental money.
Bardia National Park, Nepal: Sabeen drank a whole glass of really suspicious water that was partially brown and tasted of dirt. We had just arrived after a hellish 19 hour journey on Nepali buses and were tired and hungry. Normally, the water that has been served to us is fine but this one looked strange. Sabeen asked the kid serving us if it was OK and he gave the approving nod, so down it went. After an hour or so, Sabeen started feeling nauseous and having stomach cramps. Shortly, she started throwing up, which continued throughout the night. After two days, finally went to the only clinic in town run by USAID. There was no electricity but the man acting as the pharmacist did have a flashlight. He suggested taking the pill before giving a shot, which we prayed wouldn't be necessary given the conditions. The pill worked and happily the shop owner making fresh nan (bread) next door invited us all to dinner. (Afterthought)....Incredibly, I drank two glasses of this same water and was fine.
Karakol, Kyrgyzstan: Both of us had gone to the hot springs in the mountains and so on the way down, no one was able to take us down, as there were only 3 of us at the lone mountain lodge. So, Sabeen and I hiked the 14 kms back down in snow/ice to town in the only cold weather gear we had, which was a pair of sneakers, a wind breaker, two shirts underneath, and a wool hat. My feet were completely frozen, especially the left one and my shoes had shrunk as the previous night I had put them too close to the wood stove and the front had sorted melted. The combination of the frozen foot and the half melted shoe, resulted in me eventually losing my left toenail. It bothered me until Israel, as I didn't have the pain threshold to pull it out, where it eventually fell out on its own in Egypt.
Turkey: Since, I've been wearing a lot of my sandals, my heels have been taking a beating from being constantly exposed to the elements. I developed deep cracks in both of them, which would start bleeding and hurt like hell. I applied skin moisturizers but wasn't able to keep a regular regimen, so the problem would resurface. I resorted to wearing my sneakers but that would get annoying from having to wash socks all the time and the fact that they were slightly misshapen. This problem (meaning my heels) plagued me the most during our travels.
Singapore: Ironically, one of the cleanest countries, where we had the worst case of bed bugs at a dorm near Little India. I developed a rash on my hand, which spread to my legs and back. It turned out to be some kind of Eczema, which I might have developed from using cheap soaps purchased throughout.
All in all, not too bad. We had travel insurance but thankfully really didn't need it.
Showing posts with label Turkey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Turkey. Show all posts
Ruins and a Beach
We weren't initially sure if we wanted to go to the town of Olympos due to its tourist hype and backpack enclaves but initially got drawn to it for its beautiful beach.
We arrived into town with not much of a plan, maybe check out the beach and the ruins and see what other things of interests lie around. We failed to realize that Olympos is really small and that no ATMs exist here. OK, so we thought the bus would stop as it usually does for breaks and that we would be able to pull out cash. The bus didn't stop and now we have no cash and no where to go......
Another annoying thing is that from where we were dropped off, Olympos would still be 12 kms away.
Now this has happened to us before and you would think we would be better prepared but nope, so now what to do? After sitting at the bus stop for a while, thought about heading to the next town as we have just enough money for another bus ride. We need to backtrack about 15 kms where there is an ATM, so I try my luck at hitchhiking and see if I can get a ride back. I try for an hour or so but no one stops, its now starting to get kind of late, we're tired and getting hungry.
OK, plan b, we sit at the roadside restaurant mulling our options, I mean we've come all this way, it would make sense to stay and not have to leave after already enduring a 6 hour bus ride. While sitting, Sabeen had asked the man from the restaurant if he knew of a way to go back and kindly enough, he had been watching us, so when the next pulled up, he talked with the driver who agreed to just take me back 15 kms so that I could get the needed cash. Thank god for the lovely Turks.
OK, so I hop on the bus, wave bye to Sabeen, end up back in town, find an ATM, and come back about 2 hours later, since I had to wait for the returning bus. Whew, by the time I get back, its dark out and find my wife sitting by herself on our bag. We go back to the restaurant and decide to wait for morning before we start the hike down to Olympos.
As we're sitting there, the man from the restaurant comes by again to give us tea, very nice and then tells us that since he's closing for the night, what are our plans? We have no place to go, so tell him, we will sleep on the bench until morning. He dismisses us, calls another worker and orders him to prepare a bed for us...
We end our long day sleeping outside, listening to frogs, watching a full moon on comfortable mattresses and blankets, warm and cozy thanking our lucky stars and the wonderful people of this country.
We arrived into town with not much of a plan, maybe check out the beach and the ruins and see what other things of interests lie around. We failed to realize that Olympos is really small and that no ATMs exist here. OK, so we thought the bus would stop as it usually does for breaks and that we would be able to pull out cash. The bus didn't stop and now we have no cash and no where to go......
Another annoying thing is that from where we were dropped off, Olympos would still be 12 kms away.
Now this has happened to us before and you would think we would be better prepared but nope, so now what to do? After sitting at the bus stop for a while, thought about heading to the next town as we have just enough money for another bus ride. We need to backtrack about 15 kms where there is an ATM, so I try my luck at hitchhiking and see if I can get a ride back. I try for an hour or so but no one stops, its now starting to get kind of late, we're tired and getting hungry.
OK, plan b, we sit at the roadside restaurant mulling our options, I mean we've come all this way, it would make sense to stay and not have to leave after already enduring a 6 hour bus ride. While sitting, Sabeen had asked the man from the restaurant if he knew of a way to go back and kindly enough, he had been watching us, so when the next pulled up, he talked with the driver who agreed to just take me back 15 kms so that I could get the needed cash. Thank god for the lovely Turks.
OK, so I hop on the bus, wave bye to Sabeen, end up back in town, find an ATM, and come back about 2 hours later, since I had to wait for the returning bus. Whew, by the time I get back, its dark out and find my wife sitting by herself on our bag. We go back to the restaurant and decide to wait for morning before we start the hike down to Olympos.
As we're sitting there, the man from the restaurant comes by again to give us tea, very nice and then tells us that since he's closing for the night, what are our plans? We have no place to go, so tell him, we will sleep on the bench until morning. He dismisses us, calls another worker and orders him to prepare a bed for us...
We end our long day sleeping outside, listening to frogs, watching a full moon on comfortable mattresses and blankets, warm and cozy thanking our lucky stars and the wonderful people of this country.
Blue Waters
Turkey's southern coast has some beautiful beaches along the Mediterranean and we were privileged to check a few out. One of the them is in the town of Oludeniz about 10 KMs outside of town. We decided to hitch again since our luck has been pretty good, so got on the road and about 40 minutes later were picked up by two Dutch women, one of them worked in the area and the other was on holidays visiting her friend.
They were fun company and we enjoyed the long car ride chatting about traveling and life in Turkey, which Mar one of the girls has been privy to as she has been working in the country for a few years. The beach was beautiful, light blue waters all around, white pebbles, and paragliders above. The beach was dotted with cafes, so the girls decided to eat and we joined them for drinks and company.
One of our car passengers decided to go paragliding, so when she came down, we all met up, bought a few food items from a nearby store and sat down on the grass beach side for a picnic. We chatted more about life and a little about work and some politics. All the talk was getting long and it was getting hot, so the sensible thing to do was to plop back into the water, which we all did for a cool off.
Mar had promised that she would drive us back into town, which was extremely kind as it was getting late and the buses had probably all departed. We sat down for dinner and Mar shared her business plan of bringing disabled people from Holland and introducing them to paragliding. Her business partner was at the table and we talked at length about the idea of opening up ecotourism to people with disabilities.
We walked back to Mar's car, only to find that the car's batteries were dead, must've left the lights on, so with nothing but uphills all around, managed to get it to the top of the hill where she popped the gear and the car started with a lurch. We ran downhill, hopped in the car and off we went.
Our next beach destination was Kabak near the town of Faralya. Kabak is a remote beach tucked away between two cliffs and thus is isolated, quiet, and beautiful. The beach lies close to the famed Butterfly Valley, so when we reached the beach, we could see a few of these creatures flying around displaying their yellow and blue wings.
You reach Kabak after hiking down the valley for an hour or so, which has great views of the Sea and the surrounding lush green valley. We were told that in 2009, a hiker was killed after he failed to follow the trail markers and fell off the cliffs to his death. The beach was quiet except for a brown Labrador who seemed very eager to play fetch. The beach was void of any sticks, so picked up a small stone, threw it, and he went chasing and brought it back. We played for a while, even went swimming together, and when it became too hot, found a shade under a tree and zoned out.
Sabeen, the dog, and me had our fill of the sun and the water and so parted ways, the dog gave us a few barks and ran away to find others and we climbed back up the cliff to find a bus to get us back into town.
They were fun company and we enjoyed the long car ride chatting about traveling and life in Turkey, which Mar one of the girls has been privy to as she has been working in the country for a few years. The beach was beautiful, light blue waters all around, white pebbles, and paragliders above. The beach was dotted with cafes, so the girls decided to eat and we joined them for drinks and company.
One of our car passengers decided to go paragliding, so when she came down, we all met up, bought a few food items from a nearby store and sat down on the grass beach side for a picnic. We chatted more about life and a little about work and some politics. All the talk was getting long and it was getting hot, so the sensible thing to do was to plop back into the water, which we all did for a cool off.
Mar had promised that she would drive us back into town, which was extremely kind as it was getting late and the buses had probably all departed. We sat down for dinner and Mar shared her business plan of bringing disabled people from Holland and introducing them to paragliding. Her business partner was at the table and we talked at length about the idea of opening up ecotourism to people with disabilities.
We walked back to Mar's car, only to find that the car's batteries were dead, must've left the lights on, so with nothing but uphills all around, managed to get it to the top of the hill where she popped the gear and the car started with a lurch. We ran downhill, hopped in the car and off we went.
Our next beach destination was Kabak near the town of Faralya. Kabak is a remote beach tucked away between two cliffs and thus is isolated, quiet, and beautiful. The beach lies close to the famed Butterfly Valley, so when we reached the beach, we could see a few of these creatures flying around displaying their yellow and blue wings.
You reach Kabak after hiking down the valley for an hour or so, which has great views of the Sea and the surrounding lush green valley. We were told that in 2009, a hiker was killed after he failed to follow the trail markers and fell off the cliffs to his death. The beach was quiet except for a brown Labrador who seemed very eager to play fetch. The beach was void of any sticks, so picked up a small stone, threw it, and he went chasing and brought it back. We played for a while, even went swimming together, and when it became too hot, found a shade under a tree and zoned out.
Sabeen, the dog, and me had our fill of the sun and the water and so parted ways, the dog gave us a few barks and ran away to find others and we climbed back up the cliff to find a bus to get us back into town.
Canyoning Fun
We had pretty good luck hitchhiking in Turkey from coming back from the Virgin Mary's house, Karakoy, which was an old abandoned Greek town since 1923, when Turkey was formed and the Greeks were forced out to getting rides around Olympos and Fethiye.
We decided to keep capitalizing on the good luck and hoped for more free pickups as we continued across the country to Saklikent, a gorge filled with cold glacial water that you can hike through jumping over boulders and getting wet and cold. Neither one of us had ever been canyoning before but had heard of it and decided on trying it.
We walked out into the heat and on the main road, which was full of traffic and hoped for the best. After walking for a hour with no luck, getting sweaty, and slightly annoyed almost thought of skipping the gorge and going back. Now, we had a choice of taking the easy route and hopping on the regular dolmuses that go to the site but wanted a slightly unique experience and a chance to save some money. As we were turning around to head back thought about the reality of the situation and it probably wasn't worth it to skip out on the activity just to save on a ride, so hopped on a dolmus.
On approaching Saklikent, were greeted with a cautionary sign advising people that the gorge couldn't be entered during heavy rains, which made sense since even on a dry hot day like today, the river was moving fast and looking at it made our hearts beat faster at the thought of being in it. We started off by walking on wooden planks over the entrance with the overhanging gorge above and narrow slits of light coming in from the openings. At the end of the walk, the trail started towards the river, which was full of picnicking families and kids enjoying the day.
Several guides were hanging out near the mouth of the river, so got in the cold water and were advised of a big hole in the river several feet deep that would we welcoming us as we entered. We walked cautiously with grins on our faces towards the entrance in the churning muddy gray water and tried at best to not fall. No luck, as I stepped into the hole, the force of the water around my legs forced me down and even with trying to hold onto Sabeen, got pushed in and soaked. It was a good welcome......
We continued our hike through the beautiful canyon with pink and white walls around us often times with no one else around. As we walked through, the river would become wide and then narrow with the force of the water pushing against our bodies and then would calm down around the next bend. We neared an area that looked rough with lots of white water and boulders, so were thankful that a few guides were around to help out.
Both of us reached out to them, Sabeen didn't want to go through as it looked deep, so I decided to go through. As soon as I stepped in, the water was around my waist and the force of it was amazing that if it hadn't been for the guide, I probably would have been swept away. The guide pulled me through, I went over a few boulders and came to a beautiful waterfall. I stood underneath it for a few seconds, which took my breath away from its coldness.
Cold, wet, and shivering, I came back to Sabeen, we hiked back through the canyon to close off the day sitting by the river on rocks in the sun to dry off and watching kids splashing around.
We decided to keep capitalizing on the good luck and hoped for more free pickups as we continued across the country to Saklikent, a gorge filled with cold glacial water that you can hike through jumping over boulders and getting wet and cold. Neither one of us had ever been canyoning before but had heard of it and decided on trying it.
We walked out into the heat and on the main road, which was full of traffic and hoped for the best. After walking for a hour with no luck, getting sweaty, and slightly annoyed almost thought of skipping the gorge and going back. Now, we had a choice of taking the easy route and hopping on the regular dolmuses that go to the site but wanted a slightly unique experience and a chance to save some money. As we were turning around to head back thought about the reality of the situation and it probably wasn't worth it to skip out on the activity just to save on a ride, so hopped on a dolmus.
On approaching Saklikent, were greeted with a cautionary sign advising people that the gorge couldn't be entered during heavy rains, which made sense since even on a dry hot day like today, the river was moving fast and looking at it made our hearts beat faster at the thought of being in it. We started off by walking on wooden planks over the entrance with the overhanging gorge above and narrow slits of light coming in from the openings. At the end of the walk, the trail started towards the river, which was full of picnicking families and kids enjoying the day.
Several guides were hanging out near the mouth of the river, so got in the cold water and were advised of a big hole in the river several feet deep that would we welcoming us as we entered. We walked cautiously with grins on our faces towards the entrance in the churning muddy gray water and tried at best to not fall. No luck, as I stepped into the hole, the force of the water around my legs forced me down and even with trying to hold onto Sabeen, got pushed in and soaked. It was a good welcome......
We continued our hike through the beautiful canyon with pink and white walls around us often times with no one else around. As we walked through, the river would become wide and then narrow with the force of the water pushing against our bodies and then would calm down around the next bend. We neared an area that looked rough with lots of white water and boulders, so were thankful that a few guides were around to help out.
Both of us reached out to them, Sabeen didn't want to go through as it looked deep, so I decided to go through. As soon as I stepped in, the water was around my waist and the force of it was amazing that if it hadn't been for the guide, I probably would have been swept away. The guide pulled me through, I went over a few boulders and came to a beautiful waterfall. I stood underneath it for a few seconds, which took my breath away from its coldness.
Cold, wet, and shivering, I came back to Sabeen, we hiked back through the canyon to close off the day sitting by the river on rocks in the sun to dry off and watching kids splashing around.
Quiet Koychez
Our arrival into Koychez wasn't exactly at the most civil hour having been dropped off at 3 AM. Both were really tired, so at the deserted otogar (bus station) found a seat and decided to snooze for a bit since no hotels would be open until 6 or so. I have been completely conditioned to sleep on chairs, even hard ones, so did doze off.
After looking at a few pensions, found something decent after waking up the snoozing owner and negotiated on the price. The hotel is made more lively by Celine, a transvestite who loves Sabeen and her brown complexion and won't stop complimenting her. We both took a liking to her and her energetic personality.
The town is built around a small square with a market, a huge lake surrounded by mountains, cafes, and a few shops. You come to Koychez for peace and quiet as there is really one main road with a few pensions, couple of restaurants, and some stone houses.
When we usually show up in a new town, it isn't always obvious what is there so orienteering ourselves is important and small towns are great because you don't have to go far to eat. Our stomachs were calling so at the market scored a delicious meal of fresh bread with spinach, baklava, nan being prepared by women on the floor working the dough with a stove and pan nearby, and a sweet porridge with chickpeas. There were vendors selling fresh honey, yogurt, and jams, everything looked delicious so walked around getting as many samples as possible.
We took our lunch over to the dock and sat listening to the lapping waves, watching the few bobbing boats, and couple of Turks sipping tea and playing cards.
Next day, went out to a nearby waterfall for a swim and followed a few locals on a dirt trail winding through the woods. It was a big waterfall and the few kids cliff diving were fearless. We both sat on the rocks watching them showoff for us and finally got the courage to join them.
Walking back, stood on the side of the road until a passing dolmus passed on hopped on back to town. The evening was passed chatting with Celine and an English woman who came on a whim and decided to stay.
After looking at a few pensions, found something decent after waking up the snoozing owner and negotiated on the price. The hotel is made more lively by Celine, a transvestite who loves Sabeen and her brown complexion and won't stop complimenting her. We both took a liking to her and her energetic personality.
The town is built around a small square with a market, a huge lake surrounded by mountains, cafes, and a few shops. You come to Koychez for peace and quiet as there is really one main road with a few pensions, couple of restaurants, and some stone houses.
When we usually show up in a new town, it isn't always obvious what is there so orienteering ourselves is important and small towns are great because you don't have to go far to eat. Our stomachs were calling so at the market scored a delicious meal of fresh bread with spinach, baklava, nan being prepared by women on the floor working the dough with a stove and pan nearby, and a sweet porridge with chickpeas. There were vendors selling fresh honey, yogurt, and jams, everything looked delicious so walked around getting as many samples as possible.
We took our lunch over to the dock and sat listening to the lapping waves, watching the few bobbing boats, and couple of Turks sipping tea and playing cards.
Next day, went out to a nearby waterfall for a swim and followed a few locals on a dirt trail winding through the woods. It was a big waterfall and the few kids cliff diving were fearless. We both sat on the rocks watching them showoff for us and finally got the courage to join them.
Walking back, stood on the side of the road until a passing dolmus passed on hopped on back to town. The evening was passed chatting with Celine and an English woman who came on a whim and decided to stay.
More of the Mediterranean Coast
Our arrival into Fethiye was typical. Got into the town around the afternoon and except this time were asked at the bus station if we had a place to stay by one of the men working there. We asked for a place with a kitchen and surprisingly were offered a ride to the hotel.
Sabeen is the negotiator and both of us have been trying to stick to paying the local price, which we think is cheap enough but don't know for sure. Anyway, we go back and forth with the price, the man doesn't agree, we walk out, look for other pensions, only to return because the others are far away and I don't feel like lugging the pack around. We did find a place offering us a mattress in the dining area but would have to scram around 7 AM before breakfast started. Didn't take it......
Our place is pretty decent, the room is large, definitely has a nice kitchen, and is nearby to the harbor, about a 10 minute walk.
There are some Lycian tombs in town like the ones in Petra cut into the rock face and while walking to one, ran into Michael from Poland and decided to spend time together. He was also looking for a place to stay, so suggested the place with the mattress, since he's on even a tighter budget and has been camping along the way.
Fethiye is a big town with a pretty harbor and lots of sailboats. We'll spend a few days here and have a look around.
Sabeen is the negotiator and both of us have been trying to stick to paying the local price, which we think is cheap enough but don't know for sure. Anyway, we go back and forth with the price, the man doesn't agree, we walk out, look for other pensions, only to return because the others are far away and I don't feel like lugging the pack around. We did find a place offering us a mattress in the dining area but would have to scram around 7 AM before breakfast started. Didn't take it......
Our place is pretty decent, the room is large, definitely has a nice kitchen, and is nearby to the harbor, about a 10 minute walk.
There are some Lycian tombs in town like the ones in Petra cut into the rock face and while walking to one, ran into Michael from Poland and decided to spend time together. He was also looking for a place to stay, so suggested the place with the mattress, since he's on even a tighter budget and has been camping along the way.
Fethiye is a big town with a pretty harbor and lots of sailboats. We'll spend a few days here and have a look around.
Hospitality of Strangers
Everywhere in Turkey, we received lots of smiles and in addition insistence to have tea and even food. One such instance happened in Selcuk. We had come out from praying at Isha Bey Mosque and were looking for a library, had rung the bell and gotten no answer. I walked across to a shop and asked if they knew. The man called but also received no answer himself, so instead asked us to come inside.
The shop owners are a wife/husband couple and they make tiny statues of the Virgin Mary out of a mold, which they have been selling to the local shops for 13 years.
As we were walking in, I noticed his wife had made a delicious looking salad and lunch of yogurt, rice, and aubergine and wondered if she had caught me looking. She probably had because hardly a second had gone by when he insisted we sit down for lunch and later his daughter joined us as well. His daughter is studying to be a lawyers and hopes to complete the dreams of her father, who never finished his degree.
We tried saying no a few times but they wouldn't have it. After lunch, he extended the offer and asked us to come back for tea in the afternoon, while he went back to work grinding pieces of plasters for the molding.
When we returned, this time with a box of Turkish delight, another person had come by and was helping with the statue making process. We asked if we could help and joined in and being short on hand, were extended an offer to help out if we wanted. Thought about it but have more to find in Turkey.....
The shop owners are a wife/husband couple and they make tiny statues of the Virgin Mary out of a mold, which they have been selling to the local shops for 13 years.
As we were walking in, I noticed his wife had made a delicious looking salad and lunch of yogurt, rice, and aubergine and wondered if she had caught me looking. She probably had because hardly a second had gone by when he insisted we sit down for lunch and later his daughter joined us as well. His daughter is studying to be a lawyers and hopes to complete the dreams of her father, who never finished his degree.
We tried saying no a few times but they wouldn't have it. After lunch, he extended the offer and asked us to come back for tea in the afternoon, while he went back to work grinding pieces of plasters for the molding.
When we returned, this time with a box of Turkish delight, another person had come by and was helping with the statue making process. We asked if we could help and joined in and being short on hand, were extended an offer to help out if we wanted. Thought about it but have more to find in Turkey.....
Moving South towards the Mediterranean
The town of Bergama boasts some fine Roman ruins as they have left their legacy throughout Turkey. At our hotel in the morning as we were heading out to get some cheap breakfast, ran into Imdad, an Australian Turkish guy, complete with the accent to go with it. We chatted for a while and when he found out of our Pakistani origin elected me to cook some masala chicken and opted to buy the supplies for us. I happily agreed as Sabeen and I hadn't had much of a chance to practice our culinary skills outside of cooking pasta at a few random hotels.
Imdad was nice enough to even chat with the hotel owner and convinced him to drop the price for us even further. We both grabbed a cheap and filling breakfast of olives, cheese, tomatoes, butter, honey, and Turkish tea. Walking past the Red Basilica, spotted some carpets being sold and went in to chat with the owner, who of course offered us tea and told us of his 180 year old building and family business going back generations.
Both of us love conversing with locals and it breaks the monotony of walking around.
It was a hot day, so had originally planned to walk the 6 KMs to the Roman acropolis but ditched the idea and instead walked into a pastry shop and got some free samples of halva.
My masala chicken turned out pretty good as Imdad back at the hotel had already bought the chicken and the rice and were just missing a few key ingredients. I ducked my head out the window and before long the entire hotel staff was running around to get me what I needed. We found two guys from Germany and brought them over as well to share in the food.
Imdad was nice enough to even chat with the hotel owner and convinced him to drop the price for us even further. We both grabbed a cheap and filling breakfast of olives, cheese, tomatoes, butter, honey, and Turkish tea. Walking past the Red Basilica, spotted some carpets being sold and went in to chat with the owner, who of course offered us tea and told us of his 180 year old building and family business going back generations.
Both of us love conversing with locals and it breaks the monotony of walking around.
It was a hot day, so had originally planned to walk the 6 KMs to the Roman acropolis but ditched the idea and instead walked into a pastry shop and got some free samples of halva.
My masala chicken turned out pretty good as Imdad back at the hotel had already bought the chicken and the rice and were just missing a few key ingredients. I ducked my head out the window and before long the entire hotel staff was running around to get me what I needed. We found two guys from Germany and brought them over as well to share in the food.
Istanbul Highlights
There are some very beautiful buildings in Istanbul, most of them masjid (mosques). We had a chance to pray in many of them.
Blue Mosque - The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior.
Aya Sofya - A former church turned mosque in the 1400's. Interesting to see the mix of Christian and Islamic relics mixed in together. Not a mosque anymore but an amazing building.
Yeni Masjid - The New Mosque or Mosque of the Valide Sultan (Turkish: Yeni Cami, Yeni Valide Camii) is an Ottoman imperial mosque located in the Eminönü district of Istanbul, Turkey. It is situated on the Golden Horn at the southern end of the Galata Bridge. It is one of the best-known sights of Istanbul.
Rustem Pasha Masjid - is an Ottoman mosque located in Strawmat Weavers Market in Eminönü.
Sulemaniye Masjid - is an Ottoman imperial mosque located on the Third Hill of Istanbul, Turkey. It is the second largest mosque in the city.
Some other noteworthy buildings are:
Bryazit Masjid
Sokollu Mehmet Pasha Masjid
Kucuk Aya Sofya
Blue Mosque - The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior.
Aya Sofya - A former church turned mosque in the 1400's. Interesting to see the mix of Christian and Islamic relics mixed in together. Not a mosque anymore but an amazing building.
Yeni Masjid - The New Mosque or Mosque of the Valide Sultan (Turkish: Yeni Cami, Yeni Valide Camii) is an Ottoman imperial mosque located in the Eminönü district of Istanbul, Turkey. It is situated on the Golden Horn at the southern end of the Galata Bridge. It is one of the best-known sights of Istanbul.
Rustem Pasha Masjid - is an Ottoman mosque located in Strawmat Weavers Market in Eminönü.
Sulemaniye Masjid - is an Ottoman imperial mosque located on the Third Hill of Istanbul, Turkey. It is the second largest mosque in the city.
Some other noteworthy buildings are:
Bryazit Masjid
Sokollu Mehmet Pasha Masjid
Kucuk Aya Sofya
Big Turkey
We flew into Istanbul, which we try and avoid as overland traveling is obviously cheaper and more interesting. See my post on "Food on the Road".
Turkey is our second biggest country after China and getting around is a breeze due to bus connections, which exist throughout the country. Istanbul is a massive city of about 20 million people but hanging around Sultanahmet, all the big sites can easily be covered on foot, since we never take taxis anyway.
After groggily finding our way out of the airport because we had a late night flight and spent a majority of it at the airport since the train had stopped running made our usual route to try and find lodging.
Istanbul being expensive, it was a little difficult to find a suitable place but we did after walking around a bit.
It is nice to see beautiful mosque with missile like minarets piercing the skyline, a modern city that still has vestiges of the old, and the surroundings of the beautiful Marmara sea with its fleets of boats and the far away Bosporus.
Turkey is our second biggest country after China and getting around is a breeze due to bus connections, which exist throughout the country. Istanbul is a massive city of about 20 million people but hanging around Sultanahmet, all the big sites can easily be covered on foot, since we never take taxis anyway.
After groggily finding our way out of the airport because we had a late night flight and spent a majority of it at the airport since the train had stopped running made our usual route to try and find lodging.
Istanbul being expensive, it was a little difficult to find a suitable place but we did after walking around a bit.
It is nice to see beautiful mosque with missile like minarets piercing the skyline, a modern city that still has vestiges of the old, and the surroundings of the beautiful Marmara sea with its fleets of boats and the far away Bosporus.
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