London

In a stroke of genius, I booked myself a 17 hour layover in London on my way back from Turkey. I was going to take to Tube into town, have a beer at a pub, a long night sleep, and see a few landmarks before heading back to Holland. It was a fool-proof plan; or so I thought. I had a great last night in Istanbul. I went out for some Nargile with four of my hostel mates from various corners of Northern Europe. It was a fabulous finish to what had been a wonderful time in Turkey.
The next morning I realized how difficult it would be to be a handicapped person in Istanbul. I had two very large wheel-around suitcases weighing 23 and 19 kilos to get to the airport and I had decided to take public transportation to get there. This involved dragging them along a cobblestone street for 400 meters, down the stairs at Taxim Station, up the Stairs at Kabataş, up and down the stairs at the transfer station at Zetinbrounu, and up the escalators at the airport. At each one of these stations there are two turnstiles that require additional lifting. Needless to say by the time I got to Ataturk Airport I was ready to be rid of my additional baggage.
I arrived in London at 7:00 GMT. I found the tube station and got a ticket for downtown. After an hour of repeatedly being instructed to “mind the gap” I got of at Hyde Park Corner station. The hostel I booked was on the other side of park so I started walking. In traditional fashion I got myself lost a few times but somehow managed to find my accommodations. Unfortunately my accommodations were unable to find me on their reservations list and because I had left all my baggage at the airport, I had no way to confirm it to them. Undeterred I found a pub a few blocks away called “The Swan” and decided to think over my options with a pint of ‘London’s Pride’ beer. At the pub I met Ivan, the 26 year old Chemical Engineering Student from the Czech Republic. We spent the next two hours sharing stories, sipping on beer, and chatting with a gaggle of women in their 60’s sitting adjacent to us. The pub shut down at 12:00 so Ivan and I parted ways and I was left to figure out what I was going to do for the night.
With no place to stay I was facing a very long night on the streets of London. No thinking when I left Istanbul I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt and the night was getting cold quickly. I eventually decided to find a place to sleep in the park and after an hour of searching I settled on a patch of dirt under a willow tree near the pond. At 2:10 AM after about an hour of uncomfortable shut-eye I was awaken by a hateful pack of geese that had wandered to my side of the lake. Unable to sleep with all the honking I got up to find another bed. At that moment I noticed the police car coming down the road scanning the park with a searchlight. I dove behind a nearby stack of lawn chairs until the police had vacated the area and made a quick dash for the park exit. Finding the gate locked I scaled a low spot in the fence and was deposited onto the streets of London.
Figuring that 2:30 in the morning was as good a time as any to go for a tour; I followed the street signs to Buckingham Palace. I was disappointed to find that the fancy guards with the fuzzy hats were not on duty. Apparently unrelenting dedication to protecting the Queen has its limits. After a quick photo I turned towards the river. The Thames River has to be one of the most disgusting waterways on the planet. Even during the night one can see that the water has the same consistency as a chocolate slushy. After finding the London Eye and The Houses of Parliament I decided to try to get some more sleep. I found a park bench by the river and passed out for another hour.
I was awoken this time because of the cold. The shorts and t-shirt were not cutting it and I was freezing. I got up and walked around for another hour before returning to the same bench for some more sleep. At 6:00 I woke to a stunning sunrise (pictured above) and a hungry tummy. I crossed the river and picked up some yogurt and granola for a few pounds and proceeded to locate some of the sights that I had missed the previous night. I found Westminster Abby, Lancaster Square, Trafalgar Square, Scotland Yard, 10 Downing Street, and the National Gallery. Unfortunately nothing in London opens before 10:00 and I needed to start back towards the airport by then. I made it back to Heathrow by 11:00 and found a couch to pass out on, but instead of sleeping I found myself engaged in a great conversation with a French/Australian University student on his way back to Paris.
When my flight finally lifted off at 2:00 I was still not tired so I indulged in the in-flight movies. Duplicity with Clive Owen and Julia Roberts was OK, but Knowing with Nicholas Cage was one of the worst movies I have ever seen. When we landed in Chicago it was raining (a strange weather phenomenon I was no longer familiar with) and Mom and Mary T were waiting for me at the gate. On the way home the rain got worse making Mary T and I understandably nervous about my mother’s driving. When we finally pulled off the highway to get some Wendy’s we discovered the Indiana town we stopped in had no electricity. We later discovered that the power outage was a result of a TORNADO that struck the city 15 minutes earlier. I finally arrived, exhausted and but safe at 694 Marylane Dr. at 10:45 EST.

Friends, Ferries, Frisbee, and Food Poisoning

Yes it is true. I finally got food poisoning after three months in Turkey. It is 4:00 AM less than 36 hours before I am leaving the country and I am hovering over a toilet puking my guts out because I ate a bad stuffed baked potato for dinner. As a result the prospect of eating food is revolting to me. Today I forced myself to eat some döner in Kadıkoy for lunch but other than that I have been on an all liquid diet. Hopefully tomorrow I will have some of my appetite back.

I am in Istanbul now. My time in Ankara came to an end much too quickly. Suddenly it was Friday and the Krause parents and I were booked on the overnight train. Before we left I get to have some bonding time with Granny and a ‘quiet’ morning at the Krause flat with the çocuklar (kids). Before we left Ankara the whole family, which by now includes me, went down to happy hour at the Embassy. Each Friday during the summer the Embassy throws a social that allows everyone from the American Mission in Turkey to relax and socialize for a few hours. After I sipped through my Newcastle, it was time to go and catch our Train.

Julie and John had never seen Istanbul and were taking advantage of Granny’s presence in the house to take a little coçuklar-free vacation. I needed to get to catch my Tuesday flight out of Istanbul so John booked the three of us in a sleeper compartment with one middle aged Turkish man. We all used this as an opportunity to work on our Turkish and proceeded to subject the poor man to an hour of turkilish small talk. At 11:30 we made a collective decision to convert our seats into four bunks and get some shut-eye. Just as I was falling asleep the Krauses discovered that there was a dining car and pulled me out of bed for late night French fries and beer. Unfortunately all the good beer was gone so we settled for MARIACI a Turkish imitation of Mexican beer that tastes like Nati-Light mixed with a green flavor-ice. I finally got around to sleeping at 12:30 and slept amazingly well for a train bed.

When you book the cheapest hostel you can find, be prepared for an adventure. One can get a pretty good idea of where I am staying from the name alone: “The Chillout Chengo.” Not only is my hostel the cheapest in Istanbul, but it is also located in Beyoğlu, the trendy, nightclub district of Istanbul. Thus while I am far from the tourists and close to the action, sleeping is a distinct problem with all the noise. All the walls are painted bright colors and the many of the rooms consist of plywood walls and doors. The bathrooms are bring-your-own-TP. When someone runs the water, the pipes vibrate so loud it sounds like someone just wounded an elephant in the bathroom. When I was checking in down in the lobby a girl strolled down the stairs in only a towel. You get the idea.

On Saturday I gave the Krauses the 12-hour tour of Istanbul. They had their diplomatic passports and therefore avoided the 15 Lira entrance fees to all the museums and had special tickets printed that designated them as “official guests.” Just one more reason I need to get into the State Department. On Sunday I met up with one of my campers from Olive Grove at church and spent a good portion of the afternoon reminiscing with him. Monday morning I was still recovering from my night of food poisoning, but by the afternoon I was healthy enough to meet another friend from Olive Grove for some Ulitmate Frisbee on the Asian side of town.

This is my last post from Turkey. Tomorrow I leave at 5:30. Pray for safe travels.

Ankara

If you know anything about me, you know that I like History, Politics, Running, and Family. This is why I love Ankara. When Ataturk first came to Ankara in 1920, the city consisted of approximately 65,000 poor Turkish peasants. The city had no history and an even bleaker future. Ataturk had come to town looking for an isolated place far away from Allied occupied Istanbul and Greek influenced Izmir to implement his vision for the future of Turkey. Ankara fit the bill. 90 years later, Ataturk's cultural revolution has transformed Ankara into a burgeoning metropolis larger than the City of Los Angeles. Yet Ataturk did more than make Ankara the capital and attract lots of people here; he transformed it into a global capital that seems custom built for my personal enjoyment. Maybe that is why I like Ataturk so much.

History:
One of the chief criticisms of Ankara as a city is that it lacks history. History is important to me so I was prepared for Ankara to be a disappointing collection of faded apartment complexes. It is true that Ankara is home to only a few ruined Roman buildings and one Selcuk castle on top of a hill. However, almost the entire history of the Turkish Republic is contained inside the city limits of Ankara. If you can't find history here, it just means you aren't looking hard enough. The architecture of the city tells a story in itself. The bustling city center is dotted with beautiful Neo-Ottoman buildings, evidence of early republican ties to the glory of the Ottoman period. To understand Modern Turkey, one must understand Ataturk and Ataturk's mausoleum (pictured above) is packed with artifacts and information not to mention his sarcophagus. It is true that a Roman historian would be bored to tears in this town, but my interests are not that exclusive.

Running:
Ankara is a runner's paradise. The city is centered in a wide valley and extends up the gentle slopes to amber hillsides dotted with green pines. There are plenty of steep inclines to train on and long stretches of flat sidewalk perfect for a long jog. The streets are wide, the sidewalks are clear, and everything is shaded by leafy green deciduous trees. About 500 meters up the road from where I am staying the sidewalk transforms into a 3-lane running track paved with soft rubber. There is also a huge forest-park with wide trails running along a steep ridge overlooking a picturesque lake and a valley (see the picture from my last post). I am told that there is a six-mile trail that encircles the lake, but I have not had the time to explore it. The entire countryside is just begging to be explored. Long roads into the hills make for perfect bike riding and hiking. Ankara sits at 4000 feet, allowing for some mild altitude training. Additionally the weather is ideal for the exercise-enthused. Mornings are cool and clear and afternoons warm up to no hotter than 85 degrees. The only thing that would make this city more runner-philic would be a government subsidy on New Balance shoes.

Politics:
Being the capital of Turkey, Ankara is a predisposed to being a political town. But Turkey's capital is very different than what you would expect to see in a capital. In Washington D.C., the big political sights are the capital building and the White House. In Ankara, the Parliament building and the Presidential compound exist, but they are not nearly as symbolic or as presumptuous as their American counterparts and they are certainly not open to the casual tourist. The American Embassy in Turkey is located just 100 meters away from the Parliament and is undoubtedly one of the ugliest embassies in the city. Thankfully it is mostly hidden from view behind steel bars, opaque screening, and enough security personnel to occupy Paris. It reminds me allot of the Xavier University Alumni Center, which was originally built as a Coca-Cola bottling plant and was saved from demolition only because some crazy nut had it declared a historical monument. Many of the other embassies in Ankara are quite impressive and are spread out all over the west side of the city. The embassy for the United Arab Emirates is about 200 meters down the road from where I am staying and the Dutch Embassy is located on "Hollanda Caddesi" (Holland Street) just a few minutes drive away. The Swedish and German Embassies are look like grand French Chateaus and are surrounded by meticulously maintained gardens. Some Arab country with more oil money than it knows what to do with has prominently displayed its oriental monstrosity of an embassy on the side of a hill on the outside of town. Turkey is the preeminent regional power in the Eastern Mediterranean and the movers and shakers of the world descend upon Ankara to make policy. Obama was here earlier this year as well as the presidents of Brazil, Portugal, and Singapore. Ankara is the center of the action.

Family:
Over the past three days I have been inducted into the Krause family clan. I have been staying at their comfortable flat on the outside of Ankara with their five energetic boys and granny who is in town on a visit. Julie Krause has been taking granny and I around to see the sights of Ankara in the mornings and the afternoons are spent running around and playing with the boys. Yesterday we packed them all in the fun bus and went down to the ambassador's residence to swim in the pool. Once the security guard had screened our car for explosive devices we descended on the peaceful pool like basketball fans rushing the court. The boys are tons of fun to play with. I have participated in long games of keep away in the pool and Hero Scape in the middle of the living room floor. Last night the boys invited me to sleep over in their room and I stayed up late telling battle stories from Byzantine History. The whole operation is a beautiful exercises in organized chaos. Leaving Ankara is going to be harder than leaving any other city beacuse I will not only be leaving an exciting city environment, but also a loving family unit that I have been bleesed to be adopted by.

Today is my last day in town. Tonight there is a happy hour/Barbecue down at the embassy that the Krauses have invited me to. It will be good socialize with some of the embassy staff and military personnel here in Turkey. I have already gone on a lunch date with some of the embassy staff and collected some good career advice about how to get a job at the Embassy here after the Peace Corps. It goes without saying that I like this city, perhaps better than any other city in Turkey. Ataturk did good work here.

The Bus to the Capital

My last days in Antalya were amazing. Part of me wishes that my last weekend would have been boring and uneventful so that I would want to get out of town. Instead I had one another great weekend filled with fellowship and blessing. My last day at Tomer concluded with an Ice cream party and sad goodbyes. James left for Istanbul on Friday and Andrew left to visit his family in Greece earlier in the week. Luckily the Bultema's were looking for some help with housework so I spent a few days at their place cleaning out storage areas and scrubbing off carpets. The work in the morning was followed by cool afternoons in the pool and dinner on the balcony overlooking the mountains and the sea. As I packed to leave, I couldn't help but feeling it was the beginning of the end. I am beginning the trip towards Holland.

I decided to leave Antalya by bus. I have never ridden a Greyhound before in the states so I had no idea what I was in for. However, I was not anticipating the sophistication of the Turkish bus system. I had booked on Kamilkoc (pronounced 'Camel Coach') one of 20 or so bus companies that operate out of a bus station that puts the Gerald R. Ford International Airport to shame. Every half hour in the evening and early hours of the morning, 20-25 buses park, unload, and reload passengers and luggage then depart again for another destination. Hundreds of Turks (I saw no foreigners) stand milling about with their luggage sucking down cigarettes as if their very lives depended on it. At 12:00 sharp I left Antalya with an imposing armada of buses traveling to destinations all over Turkey. The buses themselves are state of the art. The seats recline deeply and are soft and comfortable. The cabin slides across the road like it is gliding on air. There are attendants who come by serving packaged cakes and soft drinks in flimsy plastic cups just like an airplane. It was as though I was on a great road-bound cruise liner sailing into the endless black night. I all felt very surreal. Only 15 minutes outside of town I fell asleep.

At 3:30 AM I woke up to discover we had stopped and everyone was filing out of the bus. We had arrived at a Turkish rest area to re-fuel the bus and give everyone a chance to see how many cigarettes they could put down in 15 minutes. The were a few fast food doner places as well as a convenience shop. There were probably 15 other buses at this station and the entire place was packed. 50 or 60 people were standing around participating in the aforementioned smoking contest and the rest were scarfing cay and cheap doner. I would have preferred to just stay on the bus and nap, but I got up the initiative to get out and explore. It was downright chilly outside of the bus. The temperature read 15 c. (60 F) and I discovered we were in the middle of nowhere surrounded by absolute blackness. Thus I quickly retreated to the comfort of my bus seat and fell back asleep. At 5:30 I woke up again to watch the sun rise over the Anatolian plateau. Finally at 7:30 I arrived at my destination: Ankara, the capital of Turkey.

The 5 Things I will miss most about Turkey

1. Consistent Weather
I have been in Antalya for over a month now and the weather is the same now as when I arrived. It has not rained; there have been no cold spells. I know exactly what I am wearing everyday. Only once or twice did clouds appear in the sky to shade the city from the sun. Istanbul was no different. It was sunny with a high of 85 everyday for 3 weeks. It did rain once; there was a torrential thunderstorm that raged for 3½ hours one morning. I asked a few locals in Antalya if there was a water shortage since there has been no rain. “No, I don’t think we have ever had a water shortage” was the response. This baffled me until I remembered that no one here has lawns.
2. Food
Turkish food does not have the same international reputation as French, Italian or Chinese food, but it deserves much attention than it currently receives. Turkish food involves lots of fresh fruits and vegetables usually cooked with olive or sunflower oil or tomato sauce. Additionally Turkey has more spices in its rack than most people know exist. Meat is served as a delicacy rather than a staple. In America, salads consist of a pile of tasteless leaves made tolerable through the heavy distribution of fatty dressings. Turks ignore iceberg lettuce altogether and employ fresh tomatoes, parsley, and cucumber dressed lightly with oil, vinegar, and savory spices. Additionally, the fruit here is unspeakably fresh. There is a yellow plumb grown out near the Reynold’s place that is so full of sweet juices that consuming it is akin to eating a water balloon. Since the climate is so hospitable, people in the country grow orange, apricot, and plum trees like you or I would grow a maple or an oak. It just isn’t fair.
3. Prices
The food is great, but selling it for a quarter of what you would expect to pay for it is even better. At the bazaar cherries are 2 lira ($1.40) per kilo. Apricots are 1 lira ($.70) per kilo. Fresh watermelon is handed out at restaurants like after-dinner mints. A meal complete with bread, pasta, salad, tea, and stuffed mushrooms goes for 3.5 Lira at the Tömer café. I can eat out for every meal and spend under 10 Lira a day. Being the cheap Dutchman that I am, this is heaven.
4. Geography
There is something about looking out over the sea to distant hills and mountains that just never gets old. Turkey has all types of climates and geography. It has almost as much coastline as Spain and France combined. There are snowcapped volcanoes, deep green valleys, lush forests, and the unforgettable formations of Kapadokia, and I have only seen half the country. Mixed into the landscapes are the ancient ruins of churches, temples, and mosques. There is nothing to add here. It’s perfect.
5. The Little Things
The smell when I walk past a spice store, the little Turkish boy learning to play tavla from his grandpa, the taste of pistachio ice cream on a hot day, unrelenting Turkish hospitality, and the sense of adventure when I walk out of my apartment in the mornings. To take a line from a very good movie: “Sometimes there is so much beauty in the world, I feel like I can’t take it and my heart is just going to cave in.” I have felt like this in Turkey. This is not to say that other places are not beautiful, but in Turkey, beauty is raw and unrestrained.

If you don’t already know, I don’t want to leave Turkey. I find so much joy in simply living here. In my last 11 days here, I am trying not to be overcome by the nostalgic melancholy that everyone experiences when they look upon someone or something that they love for the last time. I tell myself not to worry because I will return to Turkey, but the truth is that I do not know when or how I will come back here. I feel led to Turkey but things in life do not always work out the way we think they will. Until then, I dream of the day when I can book a plane ticket that has no return flight.

5 Things I will NOT miss about Turkey

Unfortunately my days in Turkey are coming to an end. Since I have a lot of excitement planned between August 10 and my return to Holland, I thought this might be a good time to look back on my Turkish experience and do a few top 5’s.

1. Squatty Potties-

The first time I saw one of these I was in an Istanbul ferry lavatory. When I opened the stall door I thought I had found a dispenser for mop water or something. I decided I could hold it until the ferry docked. I managed to avoid using one until I moved to Antalya where the ‘Turkish Toilet’ is the only W.C. functioning in out apartment. Over the past month I have developed a reliable regime for proper usage. If I throw my right arm back and brace myself against the rear wall. I can have optimal aim without sacrificing stability or control. The whole concept of a squat toilet seems somehow backward and unsanitary. I am surprised Atatürk didn’t do away with them in the 1920’s when he got rid of the fez and Arabic writing.

2. Restaurant Hagglers

“My Friend! Won’t you come look at my menu? I give you nice price! Kebab, and chicken!” No sir, I am not hungry, I don’t care how fresh your lamb is or how cheap your beer is. I would just like to proceed to my destination in peace. I was with an Australian friend in Istanbul who was convinced to eat at a place because the waiter rushed out yelling “Hello Brother-from-another-mother!” I made the mistake of shaking hands with one of these guys in Antalya and he refused to let go until I had come to look at his “fine selection of fresh fish.” These guys know how to target tourists and have learned greetings in 7 or 8 different languages. If they don’t know where you are from, they will greet you 3 or 4 times in different tongues. I usually get German or Russian first.

3. ‘Abi Funk’

Abi is the Turkish word for uncle. There are a lot of plump hairy middle aged men hanging around the cafés, Döner shops, and tramways in Turkey. Often they have nothing better to do than sit, drink tea and play tavla. Unfortunately, most of these men are uneducated when it comes to the proper application of personal deodorant. Thus, “Abi Funk” is present in most confined and enclosed spaces such as elevators, busses, and small shops. On rare occasions, Turks will try to compensate for anticipated Abi Funk with the liberal application of cheap perfume. I got on a dolmuş to go to church on Sunday morning and was nearly bowled over by a perfume scent as disagreeable as it was potent. Perhaps old spice should look into developing a market here.

4. The Call to Prayer

After three months in Turkey, I have become accustomed to hearing Arabic blasted over the city five times a day. Normally it does not bother me too much. However, the Cultural Center is located right next to a minaret with particularly bad speakers. The call to prayer is also problematic when there are three mosques in a 3 block radius from your hostel and the call to prayer goes off at 4:30 AM. It would be one thing if people actually responded to it and busted out their prayer mats, but no one pays any attention, it is really just noise pollution.

5. Turkish Music

While some Modern Turkish music is respectable and classical Turkish music is pleasant and culturally significant. Most modern Turkish Hip-Hop is garbage. It is essentially an adulterated version of Classical Turkish music with too much base and suggestive lyrics. The music videos, which were played on repeat 24/7 at my hostel in Istanbul, are even worse. The videos appear to be directed by someone with limited creativity and an even smaller budget.

In other news, our bathroom officially has a roach infestation. I counted 13 baby bugs scurrying away from one of Vedat’s socks when I walked in last night. Today I got to my laundry in the bathtub again.

Termessos

Once upon a time in a land 23 kilometers Northwest of Antalya there was a great and beautiful city called Termessos. The people in this city were very careful about protecting themselves so they built Termessos high up in the mountains. While Termessos was filled with beautiful buildings and was surrounded by beautiful scenery, to go anywhere from Termessos required a day’s walk down steep and treacherous roads. Carrying food and supplies up a mountain got tiring for some people and some citizens moved to the comfortable beaches and rivers of Perge and Sagalassos. Soon the people of Termessos became the laughing stock of the country needlessly cowering in the mountain whilst others enjoyed the pleasures of the low-lands. One day in 313 BC a Macedonian named Alexander came to Anatolia with an unstoppable army. Perge fell quickly to Alexander’s forces. But, even sparsely defended, Alexander the Great could not even scratch the defenses of Termessos. Discouraged, Alexander unleashed his frustration upon Sagalassos and raised it to the ground. Termossos was never conquered.

Today, Termessos is protected by a different kind of army: the army that arrives by tour bus and destroys with tourist shops and litter. Although a one lane road has been carved into the mountain to the foot of the city, the skinny half mile trail uphill to the ruins is enough to scare away most casual tourists. The Krauses are not casual tourists. In addition to the five Krause boys, we acquired two more boys from Reynolds family for the trip bringing us to a grand total of seven energetic adolescent males. We spent a solid 30 minutes in the parking lot making sure every child had enough water, sunscreen, food, and bathroom time to last the journey. JP also managed to lock himself in the toilet stall which added to the delay.

Once everything was taken care of we proceeded to get ourselves lost in a Roman cemetery next to the parking lot. According to Roman tradition, one cannot be buried inside the city limits, so the roads leading up to the city gate of Termessos is lined with massive stone sarcophagi and cave tombs carved into the mountainside. After locating the correct trail we promptly hiked up the mountain. Most Roman ruins in Turkey have had some restoration work done to them. Perge’s Arcade, fountain and Agora have been partially restored. The theater at Aspendos is as close as possible to its original form thanks to significant repairs. There has been no excavation of Termessos. The Turkish Tourism Authority has bushwhacked a few paths through the place and thrown some flimsy gates over the gaping holes in city cisterns which descend some 25 feet down. Entire quarters of the central city lie under brush and rocks. The theater is one of the most interesting of the ruins. Not only would ancient spectators be treated to a show, but also to stunning views of mountains, valleys and even the sea in the distance.

When I see a ruined arch, building, or wall, my first instinct is to climb it. Were these ruins to exist in the States, most areas would be roped off and climbing banned due to liability issues. In Turkey, such laws either do not exist or are scantly enforced; therefore I spent most of my time scaling ancient temples like the rock walls at Dick’s Sporting Goods. Once I had climbed to the top of a ruined theater or meeting hall, I would look down to see seven overly ambitious boys struggling to follow and one justifiably concerned mother looking on apprehensively. On more than one occasion at Termessos, I decided to forgo climbing as far as I desired because I did not think Julie Krause would enjoy being helicoptered out with one of her kids on a stretcher with multiple contusions to the head and fractured ribs.

As we struggled down the mountain past ornate mountain carvings and tombs, Laura asked me if I was starting to get tired of all the ruins I have been touring. The truth is I am not. I am consistently amazed by what I encounter at these historical sites and Termessos is no exception. I think I have toured eight ruined cities since my arrival here in Turkey and each one has been an unforgettable experience.

Aspendos

On Friday, Tömer decided to take us on a field trip and bussed us out to a waterfall on the outskirts of town near the ruins of Perge. Lara, my good friend from camp was in town so she came along as well. The waterfall was very pleasant but Tömer had given us 2 ½ hours to explore the place and after 15 minutes of staring at the falls we were bored. Therefore Laura, James, and I sat down and played cards for two hours. After we returned Larua and I got Chicken Döner at a tiny restaurant for lunch and met the Krauses for an afternoon of further adventure.

The Krauses were in town again on family vacation. JP was still sporting the arm cast he earned at Olive Grove Camp and Josh was nursing the collection of stitches he recieved a few days before in Koş. Despite the wounded, the Krauses were in high spirits and ready for more. Today’s target was Aspendos (lovingly dubbed “Asbestos” by Laura) a Roman city to the East of Antalya. Seven Krauses, Laura, and I crammed into a 7 passenger Honda Odyssey for the drive out to the ruins.

The City of Aspendos is best known for its 7,000 seat theater; widely considered the best preserved Roman Theater in existence. Thus, the parking lot, souvenir shop, ticket entrance, and camel rides are all located less than 15 meters from the theater. The theater (as seen above) is truly a sight to behold. Modern work has restored the it to its original glory. The sight is a popular venue for concerts, shows, and ballets. The top of the theater boasts a curved covered archway and spectacular vistas.

As one exits the theater, there is a dirt path leading off to the left into some brush. 600 meters down this path lays the rest of the city. While the theater was impressive, it was the rest of the city that I enjoyed most. Perched on the top of the hill is a partially ruined stone structure that looks like a great black crown. All of us climbed up the stones and we were rewarded with a stunning view of the Anatolian countryside. The hills surrounding the city were painted with shades of blue, red, yellow and green. Columns and arches stood defiantly all around us, refusing to surrender to the sea of green brush surrounding them. Further exploration around Aspendos revealed a monumental fountain, roads, sewers, and grand archway. I also discovered that many of the stones we were walking on were in reality chunks of Roman pottery. The nine of us spent almost 2 hours climbing over arches buildings and walls at Aspendos but we explored only one half of the ruins. We encountered almost no other visitors outside of the theater which only added to the atmosphere of the place.

After returning to Antalya, our entourage enjoyed a pleasant meal at my favorite restaurant in town before retiring to the hotel for an evening of tavela. Laura and I had been trash-talking each other’s tavela playing abilities for weeks and over a bottle of wine at hotel pool I emerged victorious 5 games to 0!

Getting Around Turkey

It occurred to me yesterday that I have used almost every conceivable form of transportation to get around Turkey. I have been on an airplane, tramway, taxi, hot air balloon, car, ferry, dolmuş, gulet, paraglider, city bus, truck, metro, and an indefinable cable car type thing that pulls you up a hill. In addition I booked a ticket on a train for next month. Therefore I thought I would hand out some awards for the best ways to get around

Most Expensive, Most Useless & Most Rewarding: Hot Air Balloon.
I was about 100 feet off the ground when I learned that hot air balloon have no control over which direction they fly, only the altitude they fly at. Suddenly I realized why airplanes had become the preferred mode of aerial transportation over blimps and balloons. In the two hours we spent in the air we moved maybe three miles during which we watched another balloon land precariously on the top of a mountain. Our pilot told us that a few times every year the wind is strong and the basket will be dragged along the ground and knocked over during the landing. While hot air balloons have proved worthless for transportation purposes, they spectacularly fun to ride in, particularly when you are floating above a landscape as beautiful as Kapadokia on a pleasant summer morning. I felt like I was floating on air, smoothly and silently drifting up and over the jagged mountains into puffy clouds. It was literally dreamy. By far greatest morning I have had in Turkey so far.

Most likely to make you sick: Tie- Taxi and Paraglider

These two methods of transport will get you sick for two different reasons. When our family went paragliding near Fethiye, my ‘driver,’ for lack of a better word, caught a thermal and climbed rapidly to almost 10,000 feet. Only one hour before I had been enjoying the sun at sea level and now I felt as though I would puke all over the snazzy flight suit I had been given. Luckily we began to descend and my breakfast was spared an atmospheric re-entry. A ride in a city taxi causes either motion sickness, anxiety sickness, or a combination of both. I have already written about Turkish driving techniques, so you can understand why putting your life in the hands of a total stranger would be a little nerve-wracking. One second we are in gridlock traffic and the next we hopping the curve doing 30.

Most Culturally Adventurous: Dolmuş

A dolmuş is essentially a cross between a taxi and a bus. A dolmuş can take many forms from the glorified VW bus I rode in Istanbul to the new air-conditioned mini busses pictured above. Each dolmuş has a list of destinations posted on their windshields and if you see one with your destination on it you flag it down like a taxi. While most of the dolmuşes look the same on the outside, the inside is always a unique experience. Dolmuş drivers decorate the inside of their cabs with all sorts of ridiculousness. Chrome steering wheels, blue LED lights, and custom gear shifters are not uncommon. The driver will usually find at least one place to display a Turkish flag as well as a decal for the local football club. Once I was in a dolmuş where every lever, button, and bar was covered with at least one puffy pastel colored hair-tie. Once you become accustomed to your surroundings you play the driver a fare of 1.40 Lira. It is not unheard of to encounter dolmuş drivers who will be smoking, talking on their cell phones, driving, and making change for you all at the same time. What is nice about a dolmuş as opposed to a bus is that you can be dropped off at any point along the route whereas a bus will only stop at the designated stations. The other plus about the dolmuş is that they are literally everywhere. I swear there is one dolmuş on the road for every 10 cars therefore you don’t have to wait long for one to come by and whisk you off on another adventure.

Most Used: Walking

When your budget is limited and your time seemingly endless, there is no better way to get around than walking. Sure I show up everywhere sweating like a fat man on a Stairmaster but it is good exercise and lets me see the city. I am walking an average of two hours a day with books and computer on my back so I feel much less guilty about not running while I am here.

This week I have been trying to break out of my daily routine and mix things up a bit. Wednesday James, Anna Kate, and I took a dolmuş to Lara beach to swim, sunbathe, and play tavela all afternoon. On Tuesday I had a great interview with James (Bultema) that ran until past 4pm. Today some of us men went out to the storage unit to reorganize some things. I have had dinner at the Bultema’s two days in a row now. Their open-door policy reminds me very much of Mom’s house. Today I had the honor of grilling enough köfte and zucchini to feed 10 people on a grill smaller than a sheet of paper. The little grill was set up on the Bultema’s 14th floor balcony where I got to watch the sunset over the sea and mountains sipping on a glass of white wine. The Bultema’s neighbors joined us for dinner and we had great food and great conversation well into the night. This coming weekend is shaping up to be very exciting: The Krauses are in town! :)