We left Athens, and flew straight to Rome. After settling into the hostel, I went to pick Joe up from a different airport. I couldn’t have been happier to run into his outstretched arms after two months apart. He looked the same as usual, just ten+ pounds lighter. I cried with joy to be together again!
Our first day in Rome was spent on foot, exploring the city and seeing the sites. Firstly we visited the Coliseum, which was magnificent. So massive, and in rather good shape, considering. We began to understand the history behind the gladiators and their tragic ending. Suffice it to say, it was a pretty gruesome life. The barbaric nature of how people met their death and the spectators who watched it is just bizarro. Sometimes I wonder if society has really become more civilized. We saw the Unknown Soldier monument which is a very sacred place. If you tried to sit down on the steps the guards would whistle at you to get up. That was kind of funny to watch!
Next we went to the Trevi fountain, whereas most of you know by now, Joe got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Quite the romantic spot! We celebrated the upcoming marriage with gigantic cones of gelato! Which we did that evening and many other evenings during the following week! It is hard to describe the full flavored fruit or chocolate richness melting in your mouth: Goodbye Dairy Queen! I have never had anything like it. Next we strolled down the Spanish steps, where the local men go to pick up the ladies!! Then we walked down one of the most expensive streets in the world with the usual Gucci, Prada & Louis Vuitton. The Italians do make some fine merchandise although it isn’t really in our price range!
The second day started with St. Peter's Basilica, yet another wonder on our list. We climbed the tower of the duomo, where we had a stunning view of the city. Inside the duomo, were beautiful mosaics and a bird's eye view of the church below. It wasn't difficult to find the Vatican, as there were many nuns milling about. Inside the museum, we came upon one incredible room after another. The final room, the Sistine Chapel, was absolutely breathtaking. There are no pictures permitted in the room (so as to preserve the art), and silence is requested. Of course a few people tried to get their snaps in, and were yelled at. We sat on the seats around the room for about 15 minutes just trying to take in the great masterpiece created by Michelangelo and a few others between 1508 and 1512. It was not nearly enough time, but we had to go and catch our train for Venice.
We arrived on the ‘Island’ of Venice pretty late without a hostel booked, so we set out to find a place for the night. We soon discovered that it was extremely expensive, so we opted to get a hotel room and split it three ways, rather than trudging out to a hostel for nearly the same price. We were pleased to get a decent breakfast though finally, after the last place we were in. To me, a breakfast should consist of something other than white bread! So the scrambled eggs in Venice were a real treat. They were made for us by the hotel night man and Steve’s (Ora’s fiance’s) lookalike. I swear not only was he tall, had a goatee, but also talked our ear off in the most charming way. We just loved him! The city, although it was raining off and on for the next couple of days, was gorgeous. Once we got a hang of the map, it was easy to navigate ourselves around the canals. Well not exactly easy, but an adventure. The whole city was just adorable and very picturesque. I would say Venice and Prague have been the most unique European cities that we've seen. We visited St. Mark's Basilica, which was very nice. The floors were particularly interesting, as they were full of patterns and designs. Very colorful exterior. Instead of paying 120 Euros for a 45 minute gondola ride, we took the 45 second ride for 50 cents! It was just enough time to get on, take our picture, and say that we had made the trip across. Since we refused to pay the 8-14 euro for an hour of internet and we were starting to get withdrawals, we decided it was time to move on to Florence.
Another train later, and we had arrived. We started talking with a couple of locals who were trying to help us find a hostel for that night. One of the guys lived only a block away, so he offered to show us the way. The hostel was closed for renovations, so we accepted the Florentine’s offer for tea, and regrouped at his shoebox apartment. He was very sweet and offered to let us stay there for the night, but it was so grubby that we decided to look online for another hostel. We felt kind of bad for him because we could tell he was lonely and wanted to hang out. He even came across the street where we were checking the internet, and then walked us to the hostel. Our next hostel was a breath of fresh air with a big open room, satellite ENGLISH television and a decent kitchen to cook our meals. The hostel was situated not even a minute from the famous Old Florence bridge, Ponte Vecchio. It is the oldest of the six bridges, the only one to have survived WW II (because of its likeability), and is completely lined with shops selling mostly gold jewelry. It was originally lined with fruit and vegetables stands, but a snobby ruler of some sort opted to change it to jewelry. On a whim, Joe romantically bought me a beautiful bracelet from one of the shops for my 24th birthday!
The bridge was a convenient location because it was so close to the Uffizi gallery, one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world. We saw Botticelli's "Birth of Venice" and "Primavera" paintings, as well as works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael. A small museum that holds so much beauty and history. Next we visited the Academia gallery, where we marveled Michelangelo's 14 foot sculpture of David, sculpted from 1501-1504. One of his best works and it is not hard to see why. The details in the statue were incredible. Each muscle and vein was carved to perfection. We saw many other sculptures, but none even compared to the great masterpiece. The museum was actually built to house this beauty.
We made our way to Pisa, as a day trip to see the tower. After stepping off the train, we saw a sign stating that it was a criminal offence to purchase fake merchandise. We soon discovered why this sign was necessary, as there were rows and rows of what we presumed to be illegal immigrants from Africa selling knock-off Prada and Gucci purses. We even saw a few of them gather their loot in a haste to escape a fine from the police. As for the tower, basically we took our cheesy tourist photos, and went back to Florence. We passed on paying the ripoff 15 euros to climb to the top. Although it was a cute enough city, there really wasn't much else to see. Our last day in Florence, and my birthday, we took a day trip to Sienna. A really beautiful city and we lucked out with the weather as the sun was shining. The majority of our day was spent wandering around enjoying the shops with beautiful scarves, and of course checking out yet another church. To celebrate my special day, we bought the biggest gelato we've ever had! The presentation was really beautiful, with fresh pieces of fruits and nuts stuck into the heavenly ice cream. I wonder why my pants are getting tighter! The city was very beautiful and a lovely day trip from the hustle and bustle of the bigger city. After a great day, it was time to head back to the hostel and travel on to Rome, where we would finish our last days in Italy.
The hostel that we stayed at was not particularly special, but it was cheap and close to the sights so we could not complain too much. Nina roomed with an American fellow from Idaho, and we decided to invite him to my birthday dinner, as he was traveling alone. We ate at a cute Italian restaurant, where we had some not too great pasta and pizza. We are really surprised at the lack of good food that we've been finding. Perhaps it's because we're somewhat cheap, due to our shrinking budget. . . Still we are spending more than we usually would at home. It’s as though we have found the Ricky’s of Italian food.
Regardless of the food, we still had a nice time. Joe and Nin had bought some birthday candles earlier, which we arranged to have mounted on top of some chocolate cake. We sang happy birthday, and the large group of senior citizens beside us joined in the festivities. There were many cheers of salutations (all in Italian of course) and probably the cutest group of old ladies we have ever seen. Only moments after, a man playing an accordion came and sang to me! To top off the evening, we indulged in some more gelato. This seems to becoming a pattern! The following day, we took another day trip, this time to Pompeii. We got up so early to catch the train that we all took a 2 hour nap on the way there. We only awoke to some really loud Italians banging on our door to get up. The people here are so aggressive and loud. Always seem to be shouting about something. The men were definitely checking Nina out making comments, not shy I tell you!
Pompeii is the city that was covered in hot ash after the volcano behind it erupted in 79 AD. It is the only standing roman city, practically intact. We found a brothel with beds and pictures of sexual positions advertising each room, and a gigantic amphitheater for games of all kinds. They also had many bodies that were still frozen in horror, sandals intact and mouths open from fear; totally creepy. The city was so interesting with many beautiful mosaics and different houses and shops. It was so big; you can almost imagine it coming to life. We understood instantly why it was a wonder on our list.
After a lovely schwarma dinner we returned to the train station to catch our train home. Our newfound American friends (after they saw Joe’s Napa hat and knew we spoke English) informed us that the trains were on strike and it could take hours before they would run again. We passed the hour of confusion by getting to know Chip; Chandler and John from Mississippi. Chandler’s family are Bush supporters and we all had a laugh at his expense since he was the sweetest but also the most naïve of the bunch. They are all studying to be architects (on a school trip) and were very knowledgeable on the buildings as well as the art of Rome. They had done an overnight trip to Naples for the night and found the ongoing garbage strike there to be alarming. Apparently someone had lit a heap of garbage on fire!! Our long train ride back was spent getting to know them and our exchanging of traveler tips. We were surprised to hear that Chandler was coming to Vancouver soon for his honeymoon! Who would’ve thought?
Our last day in Rome would not have been complete without seeing the Pope before we left. Our American friends tipped us off to the political rally going on at the Vatican involving a local University snubbing the Pope. He was totally adorable addressing everyone in English, French and Italian. Everyone seemed to love and cheer for him. We were so pleased to be involved in the scene!
We spent the rest of the day perusing the Sunday flea market with more junk than anyone could want. We bought a few things, of course! Our last moments were spent enjoying gelato and culture at the Trevi fountain. I cooked us my own version of chicken risotto for our last night in Italy and we all slept till the early morning in anticipation of our early flight.
We left Rome Ciampino on our cheap flight to Madrid, hoping all would go well. We were not pleased to discover my sleeping bag had fallen off my pack and was MIA. The baggage people were rude and unhelpful, giving unwanted info instead of calling the other airport. I guess that´s what happens for paying $40 for your flight! Needless to say, it has not been returned :( Thankfully it had been used 25+ times on the journey already! We had a five hour layover in Madrid, before flying on so we took the metro into town and dined on paella, a cheeseburger and pizza. There was a sign in the restaurant warning that professional pick pockets worked there!! More than once, we've been told of the number of thieves in this city. Beautiful city though, which we hope to see more of in a few days!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Greece
We left the beautiful city of Istanbul for an overnight train to Thessonaliki, Greece (near the top). We paid second class fare and ended up with the cutest little cubby room with two beds in it. Hard to describe, but quite a step up from Egyptian first class! We arrived the next morning to snow and cold, so we decided to move on to a warmer part of Greece. While we waited in the only caffeteria-style place with seats, we were forced to inhale the cigarettes FROM EVERY SINGLE PERSON in the giant room for 2.5 hours. Either this or sit outside in the cold. Everyone here smokes, REALLY smokes. I have never seen anything like it, in any city that I have ever visited. Bizarre that a first world country would allow people to smoke indoors. Later on a six hour bus ride ended us in Delphi, a wonder on our list, and we found a perfect hotel for a reasonable price. We spent the evening relaxing and enjoying this little resort town that had the most beautiful mountains. It reminded us of home!
The next day we got up early and walked to the ruins. For four hours we hiked through the mountains to see an archaeological site on Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis. "Delphi was the site of the Delphic oracle, the most important oracle in the classical Greek world, and it was a major site for the worship of the god Apollo. His sacred precinct in Delphi was a Panhellenic sanctuary, where every four years athletes from all over the Greek world competed in the Pythian Games." Really neat ruins and the surrounding areas were such a pleasure to walk through. Mountains galore! The weather was also a blessing, we had to carry our coats. Throughout our whole trip I think we have only had two or three days of rain! We finished off the sights with a trip to the museum to see the rest of the well preserved ruins. Took lots of great photographs. While we were there we attempted to find chicken souvlaki, but were dismayed (and not totally surprised) to discover that this platter does not exist. Someone told us to go to China if we wanted rice. I thought to suggest places he should go. We enjoyed rabbit and rice (finally) and the best Greek salad we have ever tasted. Not stingy on the Feta, let us tell you!
The next day we took a three hour bus ride to Athens and found the apartment of the girl we where staying with. We met many of her friends, some of who spoke English and some who didn't. We enjoyed their company (when they spoke to us) amidst the chain smoking in the apartment. One guy was even born in Calgary and lived there till he was five! They shared a cake with us that had a coin in it for one lucky person. It is considered a tradition here in Greece. We were very lucky to be staying downtown for free, as we are soon discovering that Europe is MUCH more expensive than the Middle East (not surprisingly). We talked with some of our host's friends who said that it is quite expensive to live in Athens now since they changed over to the Euro. Apparently all the prices are marked the same as before, except now they are in Euro's which is a much higher price than their previous currency. Everything has gone up except for their salaries, which have stayed the same! So going out for coffee, dinner or drinks can add up very quickly. Unfortunately we came at the wrong time of the year to go to the islands, so we decided to head to Kalambaka for a night. Aboard the train we met a really nice guy who told us all about Island living. Aparently people pay $15 per drink at a night club and it can be quite the party place to be. Greeks also do things differently from anyone else. Most don't eat dinner until 10pm at night. I told him we ate at 5:30 and he thought I was talking about a late lunch. Too funny! He said that Greeks are very stubborn and that is why many still smoke inside despite the laws!
Once off the train, we were greeted by a little old man on a scooter. He asked if we were looking for a place to stay, and we said yes. He instructed us to follow him to his hotel as he scooted on up the street. He took us up to what appeared to be his apartment converted into a hostel. He was trying to charge us far too much, and kept boasting about the hot water and heat, as though these were selling points. We told him we were going to look around, and at that point he took us to a sister hotel that was much nicer, and we negotiated the price to much less than he was asking for! The reason for coming to this town, was to go and see Meteora, several monasteries built into the mountains. We took a taxi up to the top, and started climbing. When we reached the monastery, we were instructed to put on skirts overtop of our jeans. Apparently men aren't permitted in shorts, and women are not permitted in pants (or pantaloons as they called them!). Very old fashioned, but of course we complied. The monastery was really fantastic and it is still being used to this day. So unique to be built right into the mountain! Really breathtaking views and a unique way to live. In the musueum was one of the original works of Plato!!! We decided to trek down the mountain on foot, so we could take in the beauty. After being in so many cities, we really cherish being in nature as much as possible. It only took us about two hours to return to the hotel!
Back in Athens, we made our way to the Acropolis and the Parthenon which is world famous. We walked around and took in the ruins, reading about Nike and the temple built for her. They are under construction currently redoing the last construction job from the late 1890's. Sometimes I wonder if they just left things alone for awhile...We enjoyed hunting down the rest of the ruins that surround the great Acropolis. It was very beautiful, but has deteriorated more than a little bit. Unfortunately the museum is currently closed and is under construction, like everything we visit! If you just close your eyes for a moment it is not hard to imagine an ancient people living life and enjoying this city. It is wierd to think of how long ago these ruins were built.
While making our way around the surrounding ruins we bumped into an adorable Asian mother and daughter traveling from L.A. for just three days in Athens (the mom is a flight attendant). We instantly bonded, and decided to wonder together for the rest of the day. We skimmed through the tourist area and the fancy shops: Gucci, Prada, Dior, etc. passing along the way the countless African immigrants selling the knockoffs outside the stores. We also visited the spice bizaar, and got some souvlaki kababs. It was really the cherry on our sundae, as this city has been a bit devoid of color. The Greek people have been very nice and friendly, on the whole, although the girl we are staying with is not. Her roomate, however, cooked a local dish of beans and carrots and offered to share it with us. So sweet. We have really enjoyed this beautiful country and hope to be back soon to visit the rest.
The next day we got up early and walked to the ruins. For four hours we hiked through the mountains to see an archaeological site on Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis. "Delphi was the site of the Delphic oracle, the most important oracle in the classical Greek world, and it was a major site for the worship of the god Apollo. His sacred precinct in Delphi was a Panhellenic sanctuary, where every four years athletes from all over the Greek world competed in the Pythian Games." Really neat ruins and the surrounding areas were such a pleasure to walk through. Mountains galore! The weather was also a blessing, we had to carry our coats. Throughout our whole trip I think we have only had two or three days of rain! We finished off the sights with a trip to the museum to see the rest of the well preserved ruins. Took lots of great photographs. While we were there we attempted to find chicken souvlaki, but were dismayed (and not totally surprised) to discover that this platter does not exist. Someone told us to go to China if we wanted rice. I thought to suggest places he should go. We enjoyed rabbit and rice (finally) and the best Greek salad we have ever tasted. Not stingy on the Feta, let us tell you!
The next day we took a three hour bus ride to Athens and found the apartment of the girl we where staying with. We met many of her friends, some of who spoke English and some who didn't. We enjoyed their company (when they spoke to us) amidst the chain smoking in the apartment. One guy was even born in Calgary and lived there till he was five! They shared a cake with us that had a coin in it for one lucky person. It is considered a tradition here in Greece. We were very lucky to be staying downtown for free, as we are soon discovering that Europe is MUCH more expensive than the Middle East (not surprisingly). We talked with some of our host's friends who said that it is quite expensive to live in Athens now since they changed over to the Euro. Apparently all the prices are marked the same as before, except now they are in Euro's which is a much higher price than their previous currency. Everything has gone up except for their salaries, which have stayed the same! So going out for coffee, dinner or drinks can add up very quickly. Unfortunately we came at the wrong time of the year to go to the islands, so we decided to head to Kalambaka for a night. Aboard the train we met a really nice guy who told us all about Island living. Aparently people pay $15 per drink at a night club and it can be quite the party place to be. Greeks also do things differently from anyone else. Most don't eat dinner until 10pm at night. I told him we ate at 5:30 and he thought I was talking about a late lunch. Too funny! He said that Greeks are very stubborn and that is why many still smoke inside despite the laws!
Once off the train, we were greeted by a little old man on a scooter. He asked if we were looking for a place to stay, and we said yes. He instructed us to follow him to his hotel as he scooted on up the street. He took us up to what appeared to be his apartment converted into a hostel. He was trying to charge us far too much, and kept boasting about the hot water and heat, as though these were selling points. We told him we were going to look around, and at that point he took us to a sister hotel that was much nicer, and we negotiated the price to much less than he was asking for! The reason for coming to this town, was to go and see Meteora, several monasteries built into the mountains. We took a taxi up to the top, and started climbing. When we reached the monastery, we were instructed to put on skirts overtop of our jeans. Apparently men aren't permitted in shorts, and women are not permitted in pants (or pantaloons as they called them!). Very old fashioned, but of course we complied. The monastery was really fantastic and it is still being used to this day. So unique to be built right into the mountain! Really breathtaking views and a unique way to live. In the musueum was one of the original works of Plato!!! We decided to trek down the mountain on foot, so we could take in the beauty. After being in so many cities, we really cherish being in nature as much as possible. It only took us about two hours to return to the hotel!
Back in Athens, we made our way to the Acropolis and the Parthenon which is world famous. We walked around and took in the ruins, reading about Nike and the temple built for her. They are under construction currently redoing the last construction job from the late 1890's. Sometimes I wonder if they just left things alone for awhile...We enjoyed hunting down the rest of the ruins that surround the great Acropolis. It was very beautiful, but has deteriorated more than a little bit. Unfortunately the museum is currently closed and is under construction, like everything we visit! If you just close your eyes for a moment it is not hard to imagine an ancient people living life and enjoying this city. It is wierd to think of how long ago these ruins were built.
While making our way around the surrounding ruins we bumped into an adorable Asian mother and daughter traveling from L.A. for just three days in Athens (the mom is a flight attendant). We instantly bonded, and decided to wonder together for the rest of the day. We skimmed through the tourist area and the fancy shops: Gucci, Prada, Dior, etc. passing along the way the countless African immigrants selling the knockoffs outside the stores. We also visited the spice bizaar, and got some souvlaki kababs. It was really the cherry on our sundae, as this city has been a bit devoid of color. The Greek people have been very nice and friendly, on the whole, although the girl we are staying with is not. Her roomate, however, cooked a local dish of beans and carrots and offered to share it with us. So sweet. We have really enjoyed this beautiful country and hope to be back soon to visit the rest.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Turkey
We boarded the plane in Cairo, Christmas day, for Turkey. We got one of our last tastes of Egypt by having a women greet us at the door and asking if we were taking Egyptair. We said yes, and she proceeded to usher us to the baggage check amongst the crowd. We were hesitant to follow as we had no idea who she was or if she even worked there, but she kept on insisting that we follow her. When we got to the check-in her motives became clear as she asked us for "tip/money". I literally did not have any money on me, so she left disappointed. What a way to make a living!
I also bought an Ice Cream flurry from McDonalds from a girl named Rehab (seriously, it was on her nametag) and we both had a good laugh!! Although we didn't get a Turkey dinner exactly, we did end up getting a tasty meal on our two hour flight to Istanbul. It was sad to be away for the holidays, but since people here don't celebrate it, it was just like any other day. It was lovely to avoid the holidays! The coldness of winter has caught up to us though, as we left the 25 degree weather in Egypt to 8 degrees here. Boooo!
Upon arrival in Istanbul, we followed the instructions of our host that we were going to stay with through the HC club. To our relief, the transit system was quite easy to navigate, and we were not getting nearly as many stares as we were in Egypt. Istanbul and Turkey in general is very divided between the western side (European) and the eastern side (Asian). This explains why Istanbul, which is very far west, is quite modernized. The European part makes up 3% of the Country, but is very influential which causes problems. Istanbul is a huge city, with a population of 15 million people.
We met our host, Murat, later that evening and went to his apartment to unload our bags. We were quite hungry, so he took us to a local Turkish restaurant where Elana dined on lamb (most common meat in Turkey) and I had a special beef dish. Like in Israel and Jordan, there were salads and pitas to share. We shared an interesting conversation with Murat and his roommate about Turkish culture. Their values are still very traditional, arranged marriages are fairly common (in the east), and men are expected to give "gifts" to their soon to be in-laws as a way of getting to marry their daughter. These are practised in the east of Turkey, where the west is becoming increasingly more European and modern. According to the Lonely Planet 37.5% of Turks believe that women who have extramarital affairs should be murdered. For some reason there was no mention of what should happen to the men if they were to cheat. Quel surprise!
Sultanahmet is the main area of the western side. We are staying on the asian side, so we take a short ferry ride over to the mainland. We walked through the grand bizarre which seems to go on forever! The outdoor market is lined with shops selling clothes, jewellery, food and souvenirs. It is packed with locals and tourists. We sort of got lost walking around, but managed to stumble upon the Blue Mosque, and from there Hagia Sofia and Topkapi Palace, more wonders from our list (hillmanwonders.com). We decided to leave going into them for a few days later as it was getting late. Before going back to the apartment, we booked a two day tour to Cappadocia, a site we were most excited to see in Turkey. Luckily we were able to leave that night by overnight bus, and get the trip started. We arrived in Cappadocia early morning and were greeted by minus 3 degree weather. Although people had pre-warned us, we still weren't prepared for the frosty wakeup! The bus driver took us to meet up with the rest of our tour group, made up of mostly Japanese, Spanish and three Canadians (who are from Ladner where I live)!
We began the day with a trip to the Goreme open-air museum. Here they have many well preserved Byzantine Orthodox churches. You can see all the homes of people who once lived there. A living room, a dinning table, a place to cook. We stopped at many picturesque sites on the way, taking in a quick hike here and there to see some more beautiful rock formations including the Fairy Chimneys. There were many people once living in these caves. They use to put carpet down on the floors and walls for decoration, and for warmth. Up until the 70's, many people were still living in here, when they were told to relocate to safer ground (after a major earthquake).
The second day of the tour started out at one of the 30 underground cities in Cappadocia. This one was the largest and the deepest one, having eight different floors, and could hold up to 4000 people for six months at a time! It was truly amazing how they were able to carve out all the different tunnels and rooms. I found it clever how the floor for pregnant women had easy access to the bathrooms! They also had a nursery school, a room for the deceased, and a little skylight to keep track of the days that passed. Apparently if someone committed a crime, they would be hung by their hands outside the church to humiliate them (not kill them). Everyone would walk by after the service and see who the bad people were. We climbed back to sunlight, and started walking towards the van, but were bombarded by a herd of Turkish women selling handmade dolls.
If you seemed slightly interested (or not even) they would wave the dolls right in front of your face. We found one senior women so adorable (she was maybe 5 feet tall, and had a face full of wrinkles) that we bought a doll for 2 Turkish Liras. They took us next to the Ihlara Valley, a half hour away from the main tourist areas, in the mountains. We dined here on fresh trout from the river and had the most delicious bread we've ever eaten! After lunch we hiked for an hour to see one of the churches built into the mountain. It was nice to get moving, as we were still freezing from the cold weather. It was interesting how the Canadians (us and the three others) were leading the pack. People don`t seem to have much sympathy for us when we tell them we live in Canada, but when you've been getting use to 20+ degrees in Israel/Jordan/Egypt, it's still a big adjustment to come back to the cold! We keep trying to tell them we're from Vancouver, not Toronto (“but my friend went to Ottawa in the winter.....”)
We returned to Istanbul via the nightbus, which was completely full, and we were stuck at the back with three noisy Turks. Thank goodness they settled down after a while and we were able to get some sleep! We picked up our bags from Murat's place, and switched HC homes to his friend Selo's place. We sat and had some turkish tea (something the locals seem to do several times a day) next to the sea. It is funny to see men walking around with trays of steaming tea to deliver to all of the local shops. We were also amazed at the gigantic stacks of pretzels atop their heads on their way to somebody important. Later we reunited with our friend Ahmet, who we had met back in Dahab a few weeks back. He lives a few hours from Istanbul, and decided to meet us for a few days while we were in Turkey. We checked out the nightclub, hospitality club party, one of the reasons we came to Istanbul for New Years time. It was fun to see people from all over the world partying and enjoying themselves.
We got up bright and early to take a tour around Topkapi Palace, the official residence of the Ottoman Sultans, built in 1459. There were many jewels and treasures to look at. Jade and rubies given as gifts from China and India, and the most impressive piece, the spoonmaker's 86 carat diamond (the 7th biggest in the world!). We REALLY enjoyed that! Then we headed over to Hagia Sophia for a tour. It was better than the Palace, just huge inside and very interestingly constructed. Well maintained with lots of paintings done inside. It was once a patrocarchal basilical, then later a mosque and now a museum. It was constructed between 532-537 A.D. Truly magnificent inside.
There was a specific area that said “do not enter” and as I pointed out to the guard I didn't think it was fair that the orange cat was allowed to be sleeping next to one of the illuminating lights getting warm. He was surprised, but assured me that this cat was related to Garfield and so it was ok! The cats are everywhere here and so cute. I think they prey on tourists because many are quite fat!!
We moved to a hostel to be more central to the sights. An interesting story that we heard from a local hosteler was how he and his girlfriend couldn't find a hotel room to give them a double bed because they weren't married. We all had a good laugh about this! Imagine, morals, or something. Actually Ahmet told us that there are many Russian prostitutes who try to rent rooms and so hotel managers are weary! We enjoyed dinner at a Turkish restaurant that had puffed up bread bigger than your head. We just love the bread here!
We spent New Years Eve at the Hospitality Club party in Taksim square having sneaked out of all but one other event. They had a live band and were playing greek folk music and we didn't stay too long. They didn't even have a count down and this was very disappointing. Happy New Year!!
Our last day was spent shopping (of course) through the Spice Bazaar and the Grand Bazaar and negotiated some pretty packages of Turkish saffron. Can't wait to come home and cook for Joe! It also helped to have a local with us speaking Turkish when necessary. Although people are more than happy to hear all about our travel adventures (and of course, where we're from).
It is so bright and colorful here. Everyone is super friendly and their English is quite good. Anytime you have questions or need directions, they really try to welcome you into their country. Such a difference from some Slavic countries we know! The only meanie was the guy who sold us our tickets to Greece and we were happy to be on that train! We really enjoyed the beauty of Cappadocia and the largeness of Istanbul. A very distinct culture with many interesting stories to tell, if you only have time to listen. Definitely a country not to be missed.
I also bought an Ice Cream flurry from McDonalds from a girl named Rehab (seriously, it was on her nametag) and we both had a good laugh!! Although we didn't get a Turkey dinner exactly, we did end up getting a tasty meal on our two hour flight to Istanbul. It was sad to be away for the holidays, but since people here don't celebrate it, it was just like any other day. It was lovely to avoid the holidays! The coldness of winter has caught up to us though, as we left the 25 degree weather in Egypt to 8 degrees here. Boooo!
Upon arrival in Istanbul, we followed the instructions of our host that we were going to stay with through the HC club. To our relief, the transit system was quite easy to navigate, and we were not getting nearly as many stares as we were in Egypt. Istanbul and Turkey in general is very divided between the western side (European) and the eastern side (Asian). This explains why Istanbul, which is very far west, is quite modernized. The European part makes up 3% of the Country, but is very influential which causes problems. Istanbul is a huge city, with a population of 15 million people.
We met our host, Murat, later that evening and went to his apartment to unload our bags. We were quite hungry, so he took us to a local Turkish restaurant where Elana dined on lamb (most common meat in Turkey) and I had a special beef dish. Like in Israel and Jordan, there were salads and pitas to share. We shared an interesting conversation with Murat and his roommate about Turkish culture. Their values are still very traditional, arranged marriages are fairly common (in the east), and men are expected to give "gifts" to their soon to be in-laws as a way of getting to marry their daughter. These are practised in the east of Turkey, where the west is becoming increasingly more European and modern. According to the Lonely Planet 37.5% of Turks believe that women who have extramarital affairs should be murdered. For some reason there was no mention of what should happen to the men if they were to cheat. Quel surprise!
Sultanahmet is the main area of the western side. We are staying on the asian side, so we take a short ferry ride over to the mainland. We walked through the grand bizarre which seems to go on forever! The outdoor market is lined with shops selling clothes, jewellery, food and souvenirs. It is packed with locals and tourists. We sort of got lost walking around, but managed to stumble upon the Blue Mosque, and from there Hagia Sofia and Topkapi Palace, more wonders from our list (hillmanwonders.com). We decided to leave going into them for a few days later as it was getting late. Before going back to the apartment, we booked a two day tour to Cappadocia, a site we were most excited to see in Turkey. Luckily we were able to leave that night by overnight bus, and get the trip started. We arrived in Cappadocia early morning and were greeted by minus 3 degree weather. Although people had pre-warned us, we still weren't prepared for the frosty wakeup! The bus driver took us to meet up with the rest of our tour group, made up of mostly Japanese, Spanish and three Canadians (who are from Ladner where I live)!
We began the day with a trip to the Goreme open-air museum. Here they have many well preserved Byzantine Orthodox churches. You can see all the homes of people who once lived there. A living room, a dinning table, a place to cook. We stopped at many picturesque sites on the way, taking in a quick hike here and there to see some more beautiful rock formations including the Fairy Chimneys. There were many people once living in these caves. They use to put carpet down on the floors and walls for decoration, and for warmth. Up until the 70's, many people were still living in here, when they were told to relocate to safer ground (after a major earthquake).
The second day of the tour started out at one of the 30 underground cities in Cappadocia. This one was the largest and the deepest one, having eight different floors, and could hold up to 4000 people for six months at a time! It was truly amazing how they were able to carve out all the different tunnels and rooms. I found it clever how the floor for pregnant women had easy access to the bathrooms! They also had a nursery school, a room for the deceased, and a little skylight to keep track of the days that passed. Apparently if someone committed a crime, they would be hung by their hands outside the church to humiliate them (not kill them). Everyone would walk by after the service and see who the bad people were. We climbed back to sunlight, and started walking towards the van, but were bombarded by a herd of Turkish women selling handmade dolls.
If you seemed slightly interested (or not even) they would wave the dolls right in front of your face. We found one senior women so adorable (she was maybe 5 feet tall, and had a face full of wrinkles) that we bought a doll for 2 Turkish Liras. They took us next to the Ihlara Valley, a half hour away from the main tourist areas, in the mountains. We dined here on fresh trout from the river and had the most delicious bread we've ever eaten! After lunch we hiked for an hour to see one of the churches built into the mountain. It was nice to get moving, as we were still freezing from the cold weather. It was interesting how the Canadians (us and the three others) were leading the pack. People don`t seem to have much sympathy for us when we tell them we live in Canada, but when you've been getting use to 20+ degrees in Israel/Jordan/Egypt, it's still a big adjustment to come back to the cold! We keep trying to tell them we're from Vancouver, not Toronto (“but my friend went to Ottawa in the winter.....”)
We returned to Istanbul via the nightbus, which was completely full, and we were stuck at the back with three noisy Turks. Thank goodness they settled down after a while and we were able to get some sleep! We picked up our bags from Murat's place, and switched HC homes to his friend Selo's place. We sat and had some turkish tea (something the locals seem to do several times a day) next to the sea. It is funny to see men walking around with trays of steaming tea to deliver to all of the local shops. We were also amazed at the gigantic stacks of pretzels atop their heads on their way to somebody important. Later we reunited with our friend Ahmet, who we had met back in Dahab a few weeks back. He lives a few hours from Istanbul, and decided to meet us for a few days while we were in Turkey. We checked out the nightclub, hospitality club party, one of the reasons we came to Istanbul for New Years time. It was fun to see people from all over the world partying and enjoying themselves.
We got up bright and early to take a tour around Topkapi Palace, the official residence of the Ottoman Sultans, built in 1459. There were many jewels and treasures to look at. Jade and rubies given as gifts from China and India, and the most impressive piece, the spoonmaker's 86 carat diamond (the 7th biggest in the world!). We REALLY enjoyed that! Then we headed over to Hagia Sophia for a tour. It was better than the Palace, just huge inside and very interestingly constructed. Well maintained with lots of paintings done inside. It was once a patrocarchal basilical, then later a mosque and now a museum. It was constructed between 532-537 A.D. Truly magnificent inside.
There was a specific area that said “do not enter” and as I pointed out to the guard I didn't think it was fair that the orange cat was allowed to be sleeping next to one of the illuminating lights getting warm. He was surprised, but assured me that this cat was related to Garfield and so it was ok! The cats are everywhere here and so cute. I think they prey on tourists because many are quite fat!!
We moved to a hostel to be more central to the sights. An interesting story that we heard from a local hosteler was how he and his girlfriend couldn't find a hotel room to give them a double bed because they weren't married. We all had a good laugh about this! Imagine, morals, or something. Actually Ahmet told us that there are many Russian prostitutes who try to rent rooms and so hotel managers are weary! We enjoyed dinner at a Turkish restaurant that had puffed up bread bigger than your head. We just love the bread here!
We spent New Years Eve at the Hospitality Club party in Taksim square having sneaked out of all but one other event. They had a live band and were playing greek folk music and we didn't stay too long. They didn't even have a count down and this was very disappointing. Happy New Year!!
Our last day was spent shopping (of course) through the Spice Bazaar and the Grand Bazaar and negotiated some pretty packages of Turkish saffron. Can't wait to come home and cook for Joe! It also helped to have a local with us speaking Turkish when necessary. Although people are more than happy to hear all about our travel adventures (and of course, where we're from).
It is so bright and colorful here. Everyone is super friendly and their English is quite good. Anytime you have questions or need directions, they really try to welcome you into their country. Such a difference from some Slavic countries we know! The only meanie was the guy who sold us our tickets to Greece and we were happy to be on that train! We really enjoyed the beauty of Cappadocia and the largeness of Istanbul. A very distinct culture with many interesting stories to tell, if you only have time to listen. Definitely a country not to be missed.
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