day 9: saying goodbye

Time to say goodbye after nine amazing days in beautiful Turkey. Our driver, Mr Sador, brought his twin boys to ease the farewell. But to be honest, how can it be easy saying goodbye to these two adorable boys?! 

Although it's a 10D7N tour, you will notice by now that my blog is "Turkey in 9 days". Besides the fact that someone else already took the unique "Turkey in 10 days" web link, the 9th and 10th day is really just the 11-hour flight back to Singapore. 

I hope you enjoyed this blog. You can see a few other travel blogs listed on the left. Moreover, there's one more coming up real soon! And to somewhere further... ;)

day 8: bolu & istanbul - luxury bosphorus cruise

The drive from Bolu to Istanbul took three hours of the morning, but it wasn't time wasted because Koray kept the group engaged with a Q&A session. We discussed politics, education, healthcare system, food and more.

Camlica Hill, 267 metres above sea level, is the highest point in Instanbul. We took lots of photos and enjoyed a bird's eye view of Istanbul.

We drove across the Bosphorus Bridge to the jetty where we boarded our bonus 1-hour Bosphorus Cruise. We were all thrilled to be on our private boat. Over the PA, Koray explained the various landmarks and interesting restaurants as we sailed across the Bosphorus Strait with Europe and Asia on each side.

A second bonus was the Spice market, which was not on the itinerary. Unlike the Grand Bazaar which is extremely touristy, the locals still shop at the Spice Market. The quality of the goods are better and the prices are more reasonable.

The Grand Bazaar, a 400-year-old market has hundreds of shops selling jewellery, bags, pottery, leather, turkish delights, scarves, carpets, and more. Essentially everything that we have been seeing for the past few days. The interior is a little like Bugis Village just five or more times bigger so it is easy to get lost in the maze. The boyfriend and I got tired after 30 minutes because the shops pretty much sell the same things. We rested at a cafe which had lots of old photos and paintings on the wall.

• Costs: 20 Lira honey pisatchio and mixed nuts, 4 Lira Coffee, 13 Lira coffee and orange juice at Grand Bazaar
• Highlight: The boyfriend and I both enjoyed the Bosphorus cruise. With the wind blowing in our hair, great views on both sides, we were happy.
• Lunch: Kebab House - My expectation was higher because Koray said we were going to have real kebab. The interior of the restaurant was classier than the others. The warm soft bread they served was promising. The lentil soup was a little let down. But the beef kebab was tasty. I would have been more satisfied if we hadn't been eating the same food for the last eight days.
• Dinner: Mercan Restaurant - It was a really dinner at about 5pm, most of us ate really little. Food was so-so, we all had a grilled fish each. 
• Hotel: Hilton Garden Inn - The best hotel so far on this trip! Pretty room and bathroom, no tub though. 

day 7: cappadocia, ankara & bolu - father of all turks

Our first stop today was the underground city, which was a place of refuge for Christians against pegans who were persecuting and killing them. The one we visited was small, with three-storeys, while the bigger ones can go up to ten-storeys with 30km of corridoors and passageways and housed over 15,000 Christians.

The corridoors were extremely narrow, even for me, and I had to bend down to pass some of them. The rooms had alters facing Jerusalem and until today archaeologists still do not know how the ancient Christians could figure out their bearings underground to such accuracy. Because of the ash covering, it feels like the entire area was air-conditioned even during summer. We saw the water well, wine cellar, original round stone doors, kitchen, and other rooms. Koray said that every city has a secret passage from the deepest level back up to the ground level. In the event that the attackers breached the entrance, the Christians would move deeper down and seal the entrance to the higher floor. One underground city even has a 30-km long secret passageway to another city.

If we were on a free-and-easy trip, I would have loved to spend more time to explore these underground cities built in the 12th and I3th century!

Salt Lake is a wide and long stretch of lake which has sea water flowing into it with no outflow. Under the hot Turkish sun, the sea water dries over time, leaving a blanket of salt. It is quite a grand view, much like it had just snowed over the land.

Mausoleum of Ataturk

Mustafa Kemal is a very important man in the hearts of the Turkish people. After the first world war, the coastal borders of Turkey were being overtaken by the Europeans, the Turks were pushed to the inlands and to the East. Mustafa Kemal gathered an army, with his headquarter in Ankara, fought over the lands from the Europeans and won independence for Turkey.

Mustafa Kemal set up a democratic government to replace the Ottoman empire. This is the reason that Turkey has a secular government although 99 per cent of its citizen are Muslim. He also established the last name system in Turkey and Koray explained how his grandfather got Kuzu which means 'lamb' as his family name. Mustafa Kemal was given 'Artaturk' which means Father of the Turks, as his surname to recognise his work for the people.

After hearing the inspiring story of Mustafa Kemal, I understood why the Mausoleum of Ataturk is so magnificent. Located on an imposing hill, the museum recounts the history of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk through paintings and photographs. In the mausoleum lies Mustafa Kemal's coffin but his body is burried in the ground under it, which is out of bounds to public.

We then started a three hour drive to the scenic countryside town Bolu, which is a mid point stop in our journey back to Istanbul.

• Costs: 12 Lira Baksitas football club mug, 2.50 Lira chocolate snack
• Highlight: Learning the modern history of Turkey and about Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (similar founding figure as LKY is to Singapore)
• Hotel: Koru - Located in the country side of Bolu, it has a different feel from the other hotels. Surrounded by trees, I love the feel of nature, it even has birds and fish in the lobby. It is also cool because it's on high ground, so the room doesn't come with aircon.
• Lunch: Gar Restaurant - we are getting super bored of bread, lentil soup, and salad with lettuce, tomato and cucumber. For main, we had chicken breast cubes and tomatoes served on a hot metal plate. Frankly not my favourite meal.

day 6: cappadocia - land of fairy chimneys

Cappadocia produces wine, and pigeon droppings are used to fertilise the grape fields. Over the years, this gave rise to the Pigeon Valley. Pigeons are attracted to rest in cool caves, so the local people would enter those caves to collect their droppings as fertilisers.

The natural Uchisar "Castle" with man made windows, was used as a fortress by Christians in the past when they were under persecution. The castle-like structure was created over time from the volcano ashes by rain, wind and other natural elements.

At the Uchisar Castle, I fell in love with a camel which was standing where our bus stopped.We paid 2 Lira to take photos with the camel. I was getting ready for a photo moment when the camel pushed me with his head. I could feel his salivia on my neck, ewww!

We made a quick stop over at Kapton Osman for turkish ice cream. The cafe overlooked the Goreme Valley filled with fairy chimneys, perfect place to enjoy a cup of turkish coffee and ice cream.

Built in the 12th and 13th century, the Goreme open-air museum consists of frescoed rock churches and chapels. In the local language, 'goreme' means to be out of sight. The early Christians were a minority compared to the pegans, they faced heavy persecution and feared for their lives. So they met in these caves, which became their chapels and churches. A few of them - the Snake, Apple, St Barbara and St Basil Chapels - had exquisite wall paintings while the others are more like plain caves.

Our last stop before lunch was the Blue Art Centre, one of the few jewellers authorised to replicate designs from the Ottoman empire. I was invited to model a couple of pieces of jewellery! 

The Avanos Pottery Village was opened by the pottery master nicknamed Turkish Einstein. He did resemble Einstein. He is frequently invited by the government to promote Turkish culture through pottery art. He has been to Singapore seven times, just two years ago, he was invited to be at the Turkish pavilion at NATAS Fair to do live demonstration of pottery making. The master picked me to stand on one of his pots, to demonstrate the strength and durability. For that, I was rewarded with a pottery bowl signed by the Master himself. 

One of the Pottery Master's disciples

The Turkish carpet showroom was also an eye-opener, with carpets made of silk, cotton, and wool, ranging from US$60 to hundreds of thousands. While a simple carpet takes 2 months to weave, there are the 'diamonds' of the carpets which can take up to 18 months! The corporation owned by the government supports many local women in the surrounding villages who uses this skill as a livelihood. Most of us walked away empty handed but become more educated about Turkish carpets. Only one member from the group bought a carpet for US$1000.

After dinner, we went to an ancient cave theatre called the Yasar Baba to watch "Turkish Night". The most interesting two items I enjoyed were the Whirling Dervishes and Turkish Belly Dancing. During the Whirling Dervishes dance, it was meant to be a meditative dance as the dancers were showing their love for their God. So we weren't supposed to take photos, talk or drink during that performance. The belly dancer had a body that moved like a snake, which was fascinating! Drinks, nuts and fruits were complimentary and free-flow, including the Turkish hard liquor which has a higher alcohol content compared to whisky.

• Costs: 2 Lira photo with camel, 3 Lira turkish ice cream
• Highlight: Getting kissed by the camel while stealing a shot
• Lunch: Altinocak - Housed in a natural cave, this restaurant serves the unique pottery kebab. Beef, potatoes, onions, and peppers are thrown into a clay pottery, covered with dough and baked in a  wood oven.
• Hotel: Dinler Nevsehir - The chef makes a really good vegetable-stuffed chicken. And the dining room is decorated with cute cakes, they even have one modelled after the hotel building. Room is pretty much the same. There are more english channels on the tv. 

pottery kebab

day 5: pamukkale, konya & cappadocia - getting high on poppy

Koray had already warned us that we were going to spend the most of today in the bus, travelling inland towards Cappadocia province.

At our first stop, he highly recommended a home-made yogurt dessert drizzled with honey, and sprinkled with poppy seeds. It was surprisingly tasty! We were told to stir it, and you get the sweetness of the honey and texture from the poppy seeds.

We arrived in Konya after 3 hour bus ride. Konya is the old capital of Anatolian Seljuk Empire, now Turkey's most religious city and home of the mystic Whirling Dervish sect. The image of the dancing white-robed man with a tall hat finally made sense. He is actually dancing to show his love for his God. The fluted turquoise-domed Mevlana Tekke was quite a sight though the museum was quite small.

The 13th cemtury Caravanserai, a hotel for the ancient travellers on the silk road, was my favourite destination today. Merchant numbers were dwindling due to high robbery rates along the journey. In order to encourage trade, the Sultan strategically built many of such hotels at intervals as far as a camel could walk a day, where merchants could get free accommodation and food for three days before they journeyed on. The only condition was that they had to either buy or sell goods to boost trade.

The grand entrance of the Caravanserai led to a spacious courtyard, with an open area on the left for animals and rooms on the right for the merchants to rest. Each room was different, some with windows, some with adjoining rooms inside, etc. At the end of the courtyard was a really big room for both merchants and their animals to stay during winter. The animals helped to keep the room warmer during the harsh winter times. All of the rooms had high ceilings and were much cooler than the outside temperature. I would have loved to stay longer and appreciate the centuries-old architcture.

• Costs: 7 Lira yoghurt, 4 Lira toothpaste, 4 Lira crisps, 2 Lira tea
• Highlight: The poppy seed yoghurt was something different and refreshing.
• Lunch: Ozkan Tesisleri - it was such a pleasant surprise to have grilled chicken wings! We were just missing lime and garlic chilli sauce. The cheese pizza was just plain cheese on flat bread but it was very tasty.

day 4: kusadasi, selcuk & pamukkale - snowy mountains in summer!

Singaporeans generally love to shop. So you can imagine how we were itching to spend some liras come the forth day. Fortunately, the first two stops today were meant to satisfy the shoperholics in us.

The Populer Leather Centre produces jackets, bags, and wallets for European brands such as Burberry, LV, Prada and more. The government mandates such factories to sell 20 per cent of their goods locally to create employment for the citizens. So if you are a major fashionista, you'd probably go crazy seeing branded bags sold at factory prices (even cheaper than outlet stores)! We kick started the tour with a fashion show, which reminded me a little of "Sex in the City" and "Project Runway", just that this time, we could actually afford a piece of what the models were wearing. 

After much deliberation, I walked away with a black bag for US$345 which would likely cost me a lot more if I were to get it from the actual boutique.

The Artemis shop was a magical candy land filled with every sweets you can think of. Over 10 varieties of Turkish Delights, sesame seed paste, dried fruits, fruit teas, and even (almost edible) oils and creams made of olive, apricot, blueberry, pomegranate, etc. The boyfriend and I picked up a number of souvenir to fill our pretty empty luggages.

After shopping, we headed to the House of the Virgin Mary. Situated above the Ephesus ruins, the house is a must-see site for many Catholics as it has been declared authentic by the Pope. It is a small house, with three distinct rooms. No photography is allowed and visitors are required to keep silent as they walk through the house.

House of the Virgin Mary

We made one last quick stop before lunch to see the Artemis Temple, one of the ancient seven wonders best known as the "Temple of Diana". Artemis was the goddess of the fertilised land. You really need to manage your expectations because all that remains today is one pillar.

After filling our tummies with seabasses, we dragged ourselves back onto the bus and napped through a three-hour bus ride.

While the ancient ruins of Hierapolis sits in Pamukkale, the first thing that caught our attention was the Fairyland Terraces or Cotton Castle. From far, they looked just like snowy mountains. Even as you get closer, the glistening pools and glassy surface makes you think you are surrounded by ice. The scorching Turkish sun however pulls you right back to reality.

The mountains got their colour from calcium and limestone which are trying to escape the heat underground. We went to the peak and stepped around in the pools, with a great view of the Pamukkale area.

 

Just hundred metre away was the Cleopatra Pool, but the surrounding cafes, palm trees and lounge chairs made it look more like an ordinary pool.

Cleopatra Pool

At close to 40 degrees celcius, we didn't spend too much time and were all eager to head back to our resort.

• Costs: US$345 black leather bag, 116 Lira souvenir from Artemis, 5 Lira Nescafe, 6 Lira Connetto and popsicle, 5 Lira turkish pistachio ice cream
• Highlight: It has to be the cotton castle, which was a real sight!
• Hotel: Tripolis - Dinner by the pool under the stars was pleasant. The room was a little old, there was a tub but I didn't use it. It was the first room which provided a kettle.
• Lunch: Sofra restaurant - we had a seabass each which was lush! 

day 3: troy & kusadasi & ephesus - ancient cities

After a brief 20 mins drive from Canakkale, we arrived at the famous Troy. There's little left of the six magnificent cities (which were built one over another) due to time and the earlier excavations techniques of the treasure hunter.

With a little imagination, it would have been a lovely place to hang out for at least a couple of hours, to experience the rich history of this World Heritage site and enjoy the breeze being 40 metres higher than the surrounding land.

We of course didn't miss the chance to take a photo with the replica of the wooden trojan horse which hid 50 of the Greek's finest soldiers.

Asklepion

The next stop took us slightly under three hours to get there. We visited the ruins of the Asklepion, one of the few cities in Pergamon. It was one of the most famous shrine and health therapeutic centres in its time. The rich would spend their summers here escaping the plagues which commonly spread in the heat. I was pretty amazed by the "bedrooms" and the amphitheatre with a seating capacity of 3500.

Ephesus, an outdoor archeological museum at Selcuk, was the most impressive ancient city we visited today. It is ten times bigger than Troy and Pergamon added together. We took an hour and 40 minutes to cover the site and this is only a tenth of the city! 

The great library at Ephesus

90 per cent of the city remains uncovered. It would take the government years to excavate more of the city because they can only work four months in a year during summer. The 25,000 seater amphitheatre was magnificent and standing in the arena where gladiators fought was indeed memorable.

Ephesus amphitheater

• Costs: Magnum 4 Lira, Nescafe 4 Lira, peaches 4 Lira, mixed nuts 7 Lira, 3 photographs at Ephesus 18 Lira
• Highlight: After watching the popular movies like Gladiator and Spartacus, it was surreal to stand in the arena where the gladiators fought wild animals and other warriors.
• Hotel: Alish Hotel - Spacious room, great spread for dinner and breakfast, and great pool view left us pretty happy. Light sleepers should request for rooms facing the main street away from the pool where the band plays till late.
• Lunch: Bergama - buffet lunch with a decent spread. Variety range from comfort food like spaghetti and meatballs to slightly exotic such as grilled rice-stuffed peppers. 

Buying fruit from a local farmer near Hotel Alish

day 2: istanbul & canakkale - glimpse into turkish history

The airport was not huge but was lively in the early morning when we arrived. The immigration was not as organised as we are used to. Fortunately a counter opened in front of us and we swiftly got through to pick up our luggage.

Our local guide, Koray, a well-groomed native in his thirties, welcomed us and quickly orientated us around the essentials - money change, washroom and telco counters to purchase local sim cards. Then we met our bus captain, Sador. He always wears a smile though he doesn't say much to us.

Money changer at airport

Koray means business so immediately we went straight to the key tourist attractions in the historical city centre of Istanbul.

Historical walls of the Ottoman empire lined the road towards Topkapi Palace, St Sophia and the Blue Mosque. These three historical sites are within walking distance from one another, but distinct in character, enough to hold our interest throughout the morning despite our growling stomachs.

Topkapi Palace

Well-manicured gardens surrounded the insides of the Topkapi Palace. The real gem of this site, and frankly the key thing I could remember, was the dazzling 86 caret diamond, the second largest in the world. It was apparently picked up by a villager in a rubbish dump and after a few exchanges, found its way to the Sultan, who cleaned, cut it, and decorated it with more stones to make it a bling for a head gear. We also saw the staff which was used by the prophet Moses, can you believe it? No photography allowed, otherwise I would have loved to show them to you!

Interior of St Sophia

The Blue Mosque and the St Sophia were both magnificent, from their exterior and the insides. What was interesting to me was hearing the stories behind these architecture wonders, such as how St Sophia was built in mere five years (a feat during that time), how St Sophia was converted from a cathedral to a mosque, why the Blue Mosque got its interior lined with tiles, and more.

All covered up to enter the Blue Mosque

Our first encounter with the local food was at Tamara Restaurant where we had lunch. We started with pickled cabbage and lentils soup, and moved on to grilled chicken kebab with couscous and finally fresh oranges.

The rest of the day was spent mostly in the coach, travelling close to six hours from Istanbul to Canakkale where we stayed the night at Iris hotel, just by the sea. The long journey was broken up by a pleasant cruise ride crossing from "the Europe side to the Asian side".

• Highlight: Massive yellow gardens of sunflowers on our way to Canakkale. 
• Costs: 2 Lira Nutella Pretzels, 1 Lira Bottle of mineral water, 9 Lira Orange Juice, 3 Lira Nescafe coffee, less than 10 Lira for snacks
• Hotel: Iris Hotel Canakkale - the room was clean and basic. While it was nothing fancy, I loved that the restaurant where we had dinner and breakfast was just by the sea. We watched the sunset while we finished dinner.

day 1: flight from singapore to istanbul

It still amuses me that ASA counts this as one day in my 10D7N trip. One, it's really just an overnight flight to Istanbul. Two, we met at Changi Airport at 11pm for our 1.40am flight. But I guess it's market practice and since I am in a holiday mood, I guess it's fair.

What is worthy of mention is ASA's service at group check-in. CarolAnn, ASA's representative smsed us a reminder earlier in the afternoon. And she was extremely enthusiastic, friendly and professional throughout the entire meet-and-greet, and check-in process. She even carried my luggage to an available counter so we could check in quicker.

The boyfriend and I recently used another tour agency and both of us don't remember receiving such good service. So way to go ASA!

• Costs: S$194 Pandora bracelet - i have been thinking of getting one after being inspired by my colleague Mel, S$7 snacks before our flight.
• Highlight: Catching two amazing episodes of "How I Met Your Mother", when Barnie proposed to Robin!