Let's go to the beach, beach

Well, it has taken me long enough to get my act together that I'm actually writing this from New York City (if you're here and want to hang out, call me!) but our time on the beach in Turkey definitely deserves its own blog entry. Because it was awesome.

We left Cappadocia on September 4th and flew into Izmir, one of the larger cities on the Turkish Aegean Sea. Our driver picked us up in the pimpest van I have ever seen...we're talking gold detailing, huge rims, and club lights. Pretty awesome. It was also a nice distraction from the fact that he drove like a MANIAC for the next 90 minutes along one-lane cliff-hanging highways over the sea, but (luckily) deposited us safely in front of our house rental in Guzelcamli unharmed. The 3-bedroom home, right on the sea, was the perfect place to while away our next five nights (thanks, HomeAway!). We spent the days doing...well...mostly nothing, and the evenings cooking simple dinners and drinking too much Efes. Good times. Guzelcamli is a small resort town near the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus ("Efes" in Turkish...we thought we were driving to a beer factory until we realized this). The town's population swells to more than 60,000 in the summer season, but got lucky that the "summer season" had just ended by the time we arrived and there were only 10,000 vacationers and locals left. It was very peaceful, and allowed me to make some good headway in the second "Game of Thrones" book. Yes. I'm addicted.

After two days of sheer relaxation, we decided we wanted a little history to fill our brains, so four of us rented a car and drove to the ruins. Ephesus was one of the most important cities of the ancient world, founded around 6000BC with a population of 200,000 people. The most impressive sites still in existence are the 25,000-capacity amphitheater, and the elaborate library. Everything else cool has been taken off the premises and put into the Ephesus Museum in Selcuk (which they do not tell you before you go).
Theater:


Library:


Another highlight was a lovely reenactment of a gladiator battle, with actors playing members of the royal court and spearing each other with plastic swords. I got to see it twice. Lucky me.

Just around the corner from Ephesus is what is alleged to be the house where the Virgin Mary died. According to the story, Saint John brought Mary to the hills surrounding Ephesus after Jesus' death, and she lived out her days in a pretty, wooded area high on a hill. However, the exact site was "discovered" by a blind German nun, who had a revelation about the location of Mary's last dwelling in the late 1800s, so what actually stands on the grounds 1) is a reconstruction, and 2) probably isn't really the right place. We didn't know this until after we paid $20 to get in, but it was still a nice little visit.
"Mary's House":


We spent our fourth day in Guzelcamli taking a boat tour through the national park. I had no idea just how clear the Aegean Sea is, but let me tell you - that water gives Zanzibar a run for its money. It was GORGEOUS. For $15, we got an 8-hour boat ride complete with stop-offs at secluded coves to swim in the pristine water, a delicious lunch, and a sweet lounging spot on top of giant pillows on the deck of the boat.
Sweet lounging spot:


Me in my happy place:


Secluded cove:


A hike through the national park proved to be a nice activity for our last day. The walk was beautiful, right along the cliffs overlooking the sea, and you can hike down to the water and stumble across this:


Oh, and this (yes, that is a wild boar...gross):


Our last night in Guzelcamli was spent at Agora Restaurant, which is owned by a local named Mustafa and his wife. Caroline. From Massachusetts. Bet you didn't see that coming. She was on vacation at Club Med in Mexico and took a windsurfing lesson. He was her instructor. They are now married, pregnant, and living in Guzelcamli, Turkey. Nutso. Here are some fun facts about the town that she shared with us:
1) Village women stay at home all day. Literally. They don't leave their houses.
2) Village men retire at 50 and play backgammon all day. Literally. They don't leave their backgammon tables.
3) Circumcision is performed on boys at age seven or eight, and the ritual involves a parade of cars through the town honking and celebrating. The boy rides at the front of the parade dressed in elaborate white robes. I was lucky enough to witness this, although it was before I had a clue what I was actually looking at. I described it to my travel companions as follows, "there was this tiny pope guy riding in a pickup, and 50 cars driving after him". He had a big smile on his face...so that must have been the "before" parade. Poor little guy.

Saying goodbye to Guzelcamli was bittersweet, but we were excited to move on and experience Bodrum, known as one of Europe's prettiest and biggest party towns. We hired a car for the three hour trip (much to our disappointment, it was not a pimp van) and arrived at our BEAUTIFUL apartment atop a hill overlooking the town and the sea (thanks, airBnB!) around 1PM. Dave and Erin both get huge gold stars for finding us awesome accommodations. Commence two more days of...sitting around. It's hard not to want to do that when these are the views from your patio....
Daytime:


Nighttime:


While a few of us (ahem, Erin, Ali, Dave, Christina) went out to explore the nightlife on our first night there, we mostly ended up chilling out at home. Again, the high season was (luckily) over by the time we rolled into town, so we got to experience a more relaxed side of Bodrum. It's an adorable place, with a shop and restaurant-lined main boulevard that stretches around the harbor, and streets dotted with ruins. It's also home of Bodrum Castle, which was originally constructed by the Knights Hospitaller in 1409 then conquered by Suleyman the Magnificent in 1522. The castle is surrounded by water on three sides, which serves the dual purpose of defense and having KILLER views:
Defense:


Killer views:


Bodrum Castle is also home to an underwater archaeology museum, and is filled with artifacts discovered from shipwrecks. In addition, it features exceptionally creepy full-scale models of old trading ships:


Besides the castle, two other notable things about Bodrum were the street mussels and the catamaran club. Let me explain. "Street mussels" (my creative name for them) are mussels sold at roadside stands all along the main drag. They are opened up raw and stuffed with a rice mixture, then closed and steamed. The Bodrum price is one mussel for one Lira ($0.60), although we typically got "angel price" and walked away with a few free ones. Turkish men loooove female tourists. Every waiter we had wanted to shake Dave's hand. Not kidding - he was practically a celebrity for traveling with five girls. OK, back to the mussels. So you order them one at a time, and the vendor takes them out of the case and separates the shells. He squeezes lemon on top, and you use one half of the shell to scoop out the mussel and the rice together, and eat it in one bite. And it. Is. DELICIOUS. My travel companions could typically find me standing next to a mussel vendor saying "oh...no...well, okay, just ONE more".
Delicious mussel (featuring amateur hand model Erin Keller):


Nom nom nom:


Now that we've covered the mussels, let me tell you about the catamaran club. We had heard about two famous nightclubs in Bodrum - Halikarnas Disco, an open-air club with capacity of 5,000 people and Club Catamaran, a giant cat boat that leaves the dock at 1:30AM and stays out until sunrise. We knew we had to do one of the two, and after some debate (and talking to locals), we decided to go for the boat. We started the night at our apartment with a few rounds of beers and Ali's ingenious art project: spelling "Turkey" with lights on our patio using an extra-long camera exposure. It actually worked. Proof:


Playing with the camera quickly devolved into a hilarious photo shoot, and we were also able to nail a pyramid. We thought about trying to turn the self-timer on and putting Dave on top, but we hadn't had THAT many beers:


We departed for the town center around midnight, and got on the boat (with the help of our new friend Can who we met on the bus). Despite having what I'm pretty sure is the highest-margin beer in Turkey, the catamaran was a lot of fun. Go-go dancers, a trapeze artist, two levels, a hot dog stand, a great DJ, a billion French people, and a LOT of dancing. I have more than 100 photos, but sorry, they're all classified except for these two:
Boarding the club...


Kind of awkward group shot (courtesy of new-friend-Can):


We made merry on the boat until 4:30AM, stood in line to get the motorboat shuttle back to Bodrum until 5AM, got home at 5:30AM, went to sleep at 6AM, and got up at 7:30AM for a 10AM flight. No, you did not read that wrong. It was BRUTAL. But a very fitting end to the trip.

The group finally split up on September 13th, with Dave, Christina, Erin and me heading back to Istanbul for a couple of days to do some last-minute souvenir shopping (note: do not buy ceramics in Turkey because they will ALL BREAK in your hand luggage on the way home) and enjoy a couple of final meals on the Bosphorus, and Ali and Keira heading to Santorini. Bitches.

All in all, beach time was a perfect way to end the trip. And now that I know the beaches in Turkey are so spectacular, I'll be sure to return. Especially if I can eat meze while sunbathing. Lots of love to my amazing travel crew. It's been real.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad from some awesome, fabulous, amazing, dangerous international location

Location:Bodrum, Turkey

More gratuitous food pics...

The people have spoken. You loved the food pics in my last post, so I figured I'd give you a few more to enjoy / be envious of. Here's our last dinner in Goreme, at "My Mother's Restaurant", memorialized in photos...

Mixed meze platter:


Mother's Special chicken (this may be the best single dish we've had in Turkey):


Mother's Special meat pastry (featured on the menu as "mens meat"...took us awhile to figure out they probably meant "minced", but we had some fun with our imaginations in the meantime):


Moussaka:


Turkish ravioli:


Chicken clay pot kebab:



I'm still full.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad from some awesome, fabulous, amazing, dangerous international location

Location:Goreme, Turkey

Cappadocia: Land of early Christian settlements and REALLY DELICIOUS food

I have to admit I did little to no research on Cappadocia ("Kapadokya" in Turkish, which also happens to be the correct phonetic pronunciation) before arriving a few days ago. Aside from politely smiling and nodding when other travelers gasped, "Oh, you're going to Turkey? You HAVE to go to Cappadocia!", I knew next to nothing about the region. Luckily, my Type-A friends are all excellent travel planners and organized a great trip (thanks Erin!), so I got to go along for the ride. Turns out this is quite a spectacular place. Ancient geological formations, dubbed "fairy chimneys", spring up throughout deep desert valleys, and the modern town of Goreme, where we stayed (at the charming Rock Valley Pension), is surrounded by old city buildings carved into the rocks. Cappadocia also happens to be one of the major centers of early Christianity, and the Cappadocian Fathers of the 4th century were integral to the development of the religion.

We spent our time in Cappadocia exploring the region's ruins (once by sunrise hot-air balloon!), lounging by the pool, and eating the best meals we've had in Turkey to-date - sorry Istanbul, you've been outdone. And while the rest of our group did another day tour today, Keira and I decided we'd prefer a day of relaxation, hung back at the pension and got treated to a homemade lunch (complete with fresh walnuts right off the trees in the back yard) with Rock Valley's amazing staff. Bonus. Since both history and food are best shared through photos, I'll do my best to keep the narrative brief and share a few of my favorite snapshots with you.

Sunrise hot-air ballooning over Goreme was one of the highlights of my two months of traveling so far. The hot air balloon industry in Cappadocia is the biggest in the world, with 300 flyable days per year (as compared with England's 55). Butterfly Balloons picked us up at 5:30AM and, after a light breakfast of fresh fruit, Turkish bagels and coffee, whisked us out to the ballooning fields a few miles from town. There were at least fifty balloons taking off around us, and the scenery was absolutely stunning. The magical experience was enhanced by the fact that our pilot, Mustafa, could have had a second career as a stand-up comedian. His tour included some excellent quips, such as "Down to your right, you will see some fairy chimneys, the phallic-shaped rock formations. As this is a Muslim country, you will notice they are all circumcised." Cute. In addition to being funny, Mustafa was incredibly competent at steering the balloon - while there are no directional abilities, he can control the upward and downward movements with heat and therefore pick up different wind currents that blow in the desired direction of travel. There were times when we were no more than a meter off the ground, and other points where we were as high as 4,000 feet. And when we were done? Champagne. At 7:30AM. You hear that, Kellogg? What a morning.
Taking off:


Turkish flag balloons over the Cappadocian valleys:


I still can't believe I saw this with my own eyes...


Our balloon crew sharing a toast with Mustafa after a safe landing:



The Goreme Open Air Museum was another highlight of the trip. As I mentioned before, I didn't have a clue that Cappadocia was such an important region in Christian history (yep, it was even mentioned in the Bible!), so this was a great opportunity to do some good old-fashioned leaning. Ancient Goreme is comprised of above-ground structures (many of them churches) carved into the rocks, as well as massive underground cities where early Christians sought refuge from Roman attackers. Saint George, of "Saint George Slays the Dragon" lore, is from Cappadocia, and the earliest depictions in Christian art were found in the region - some of which we saw yesterday. The museum is spectacular, the artwork is incredibly well-preserved considering much of it is more than 1,000 years old, and there were plenty of opportunities to take ridiculous photos.
One of Goreme's carved churches (and Erin):


The interior of the Apple Church, with its multiple domes and geometric artwork:


Saint George doing his thing on a mural inside the Snake Church:


A ridiculous photo of everyone pretending to eat me:



After the museum, we hiked up to Sunset Point to enjoy the view (and some local wine). Adorable group shot to prove it (yes, Dave is the luckiest man in Turkey):



...and now it's time for some gratuitous food pics. Get psyched, food lovers. Goreme's restaurants are incredible, and incredibly inexpensive. Our priciest meal came in at less than $25 a person, complete with appetizers, main dishes, dessert, and four bottles of local Cappadocian wine. Prepare to feast your eyes, as we feasted our stomachs.
Clay pot beef kebab, shepherd salad and chicken shish from Goreme's Anatolia Kitchen:


Anatolia Kitchen's spinach and feta Turkish pide:


Turkish breakfast at Rock Valley Pension (included in the $16/night B&B rate!):


The incredible (and giant) meze platter at Topdeck Cave Restaurant, an adorable family-run place in Goreme where we had our best meal of the trip:


Topdeck Cave's bone-in braised lamb:


The wonderful family behind the delicious food at Topdeck Cave (the 12 and 17-year-old daughters are fantastic waitresses!):


Sharing lunch with the pension staff:



All in all, these few days in Cappadocia have been a wonderful detour to Central Anatolia. The people, the history, and the food have all proved incredible. While it will be sad to leave Rock Valley (Keira and I have been offered jobs as full-time waitstaff), we're looking forward to our next stop: a beach villa in Mediterranean resort town Guzelcamli. Until then, serefe (cheers). And Happy Labor Day.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad from some awesome, fabulous, amazing, dangerous international location

Location:Çerkez Sk,Göreme,Turkey

Sure, I could live in Istanbul

Let me explain. Istanbul, truly an East-meets-West city, is a spectacular combination of modernity's meeting with an impressive and rich cultural history. Flashy Ritz-Carlton buildings spring up from behind ancient mosques, and women in hijabs walk along the street next to girls in miniskirts. There is a posh, stylish, upscale side of the city right across the water from a section of old, winding cobblestone streets (this is very confusing when trying to navigate, so some patience is required. Well, my travel buddies needed patience, anyway, because I'm not sure I can count the number of times I stubbornly led everyone in the COMPLETELY WRONG direction. Sorry guys). Istanbul embodies juxtaposition, and it's the kind of place where one can while away the afternoon in a cafe drinking Turkish coffee admiring the Hagia Sophia then spend the night dancing in a nightclub on the shores of the Bosphorus. What an incredible city.

Since there is so much to say about our five days in Istanbul, most of it boring for those who weren't sharing our Sultanahmet flat, I'll stick to the highlights. Here goes:

1) Doner kebab. This shaved meat is prolific throughout the city in both stands and restaurants, and is DELICIOUS. We obviously had to commemorate our first kebab-eating, in the streets of Old Istanbul while on a Rick Steves' guided walk. (Note: if you find yourself in Istanbul, buy his book.)



2) Hagia Sophia ("Ayasofya" in Turkish). This amazing church-turned-mosque is impressive in size from the outside, if a little unsightly. The inside, however is absolutely breathtaking. All of the interior artwork is done in mosaic, as opposed to paint, and the combination of Christian idolatry and Muslim decor is pretty incredible. While the photos won't do it justice, I'll at least give you a little snapshot of what we spent an hour exploring:



3) Bosphorus Cruise. A public ferry whisks passengers up the beautiful, hill-lined Bosphorus for 25 Turkish Lira ($13) to a tiny little fishing village on the edge of the Black Sea (complete with castle). The cruise offers incredible views of the sights and geography of Istanbul and its surrounding waterways, and the fishing village, Anadolu Kavagi, offers incredible fried mussels.
Views:


Mussels:



4) Basilica Cistern. This cistern, located underneath the site of a former church (hence the name), was rebuilt by Emperor Justinian in AD 532 to hold water for Istanbul residents. The architecture is spectacular (fun fact: the cistern provided a backdrop for the James Bond movie "From Russia with Love"), the history is fascinating, and it's fun to imagine how FREAKING CREEPY it would be down there if the power went out.



5) Dinner at Hamdi Restaurant. This was a fabulous end to our first sightseeing day in Istanbul. Hamdi offers amazing views of some of Istanbul's best sights, including Suleyman mosque and the Golden Horn, and the meze (Turkish small plates...think pita with tzatziki, hummus, eggplant, etc) were top-notch. Also delicious: Turkish wine. Who knew?



6) Turkish Bath. Emily and I took a day off of sightseeing to visit the Ayasofya Hammam, which has been used intermittently as a Turkish Bath since 1558, and offers one of the best spa experiences in the city. You ain't seen nothing yet if you haven't been completely nude in a room full of strangers (the baths are sex-segregated, luckily...or not, if you prefer) while a middle-aged Turkish lady washes you down with bubbles. I do not have a photo of this. Feel free to use your imagination...or not, if you prefer.

7) Cooking Alaturka. My six travel companions and I decided to spend one or our evenings at a cooking school, and ended up at this place. Dutch expat and Cordon Bleu grad Eveline runs a lovely kitchen in Istanbul's Old Town, and we learned to make a variety of Turkish dishes including lentil soup, zucchini pancakes, stuffed eggplant (Imam Bayildi - literally translated as "the Imam fainted" - as legend has it, the first Imam who tried this dish passed out because it was so delicious. I did not pass out, but it was a close call), vine leaves stuffed with lamb, and sponge cakes with hazelnuts. The entire experience was enhanced by the school's hilarious chef, Feyzi, who liked to make likenesses of animals out of piles of raw meat.
Raw meat monkey:


Imam Bayildi:



8) Mosque visits. While covering up head-to-toe to enter the mosques respectfully proved to be a bit of a challenge in Istanbul's summer heat, it was definitely worth it. Istanbul's mosques are numerous, and beautifully constructed. While idolatry is forbidden in Islam, the mosques are still elaborately decorated with striking tile patterns. Not only was this trip the first time I had been in a mosque, it was also the first time I had seen Muslim prayer, which is an incredible ritual to witness. The call to prayer rings out from the city's mosques five times a day (we finally learned to sleep through the 5AM one), reminding Western travelers that we're pretty darn far away from home. Awesome.
Mosque-visiting outfits (mismatched scarves):


The Blue Mosque's elaborate ceiling tile:



9) Stray cats. There are stray cats ALL OVER ISTANBUL. Again, no pictures. I do not want rabies.

10) Ortakoy. This posh neighborhood along the Bosphorus, a short drive / ferry from the center of the new section of Istanbul, was a great way to end our visit to the city and another reminder of the contrasts Istanbul embodies. Dave, Emily and I enjoyed a delicious meal (albeit at NYC prices) at House Cafe on the banks of the strait, enjoying the sounds of the mix of American techno music and the evening prayer calls. Fantastic.



When it came time to leave, I felt as though I could spend another week exploring Istanbul's treasures - easily. The city is definitely a worthwhile destination if you have some money to spend (meaning I'll have to come back, since I'm not sure my student loan providers would be too pleased if I considered my grad school advances "money to spend"). We'll have two more days in the city en route back to the States, and will likely use the time to explore the new European side and Asian Istanbul, but first we need to see Anatolia (Cappadocia) and the beach towns of Guzelcamli, Selcuk, and Bodrum. Obviously.

Thanks to Ali, Erin, Christina, Keira, Dave & Emily for an awesome week.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad from some awesome, fabulous, amazing, dangerous international location

Location:Istanbul, Turkey