Don't Go to Turkey

(February-March 2007) Leaving Egypt was a pain in the ass, literally. Since all the flights departing Egypt only go during the middle of the night we had to forgo sleep in order to stay up to catch our 3am flight. We were old hats at negotiating for cab rides. Matt would simply write the amount on his hand and that way there was no question about the price. Matt repeated the price twice to the cabbie and he agreed both times and we were on our way, or so we thought. We barely made it a few blocks before the cab driver started complaining about the price, the distance, airport tolls, etc. We'd already been to the airport literally 7 times since we got to Egypt so his complaining was insulting to us. Driving in the middle of the night to the airport takes a fraction of the time it does during the day because there aren't any cars on the road. I was so fed up with the cab driver's nonsense that I just wanted to get out. I was done getting taken for a dummy. The cabbie was already being paid twice what he should have and unfortunately for him he missed out on a tip because of his whining. The whole idea of asking for more money after you've established a price never ceased to baffle us. 

The 2-hour flight to Turkey was a nightmare for me in particular. I had a 5 year old boy wired on sugar and what appeared to me as crack behind me. My seat was his play thing which he kicked and boy-handled the entire flight. I gave him the evil eye just before we pushed off hoping that would subdue him. It did not. Once as he was climbing up my chair I got up and turned around and pleaded with him to stop, it only enticed him to torment me more. His granny was asleep next to him, which seemed miraculous considering the noise he was making, and so there was absolutely no one to keep him in check. My nerves were frayed and I thought of stuffing him in the overhead compartment. I begged Matt to use the headphones so I could at least drown the irritating boys sing songs. 

We had arranged through our guest house to be picked up at the airport. The driver sped us through the outskirts of Istanbul and then maneuvered us between some narrow one way streets to our guest house in the Sultanahmet neighborhood. Our gracious hosts let us check into our room early and we slept like babies. We woke up to a crystal clear brisk day. We'd missed our free breakfast so we went in search of lunch. We climbed three or four flights of stairs to a rooftop restaurant. The views from there were incredible. The Sultanahmet neighborhood is a quaint mixture or boutique hotels, guest houses, and the Four Seasons  all under the shadow of two of the most impressive mosques in all of Turkey. Behind me was the Aya Sofia mosque which was formerly a cathedral. Behind Matt was the Sultanahmet better known as the Blue Mosque. Both buildings had dozens of minarets that pierced the sky with small domes that beget bigger and yet bigger domes. In front of us lay the Marmara Sea. It was a feast for the eyes no matter which direction you turned. 

Istanbul is a marvelous city with both European and Asian flair. We were just tickled to be in what felt like modern civilization again. Clean, paved streets. Sidewalks. Stop lights. New cabs and cars that actually stopped at the stop lights. Quick and plentiful public transportation. Matt and I had a strict, "do only one thing a day" policy that we followed from Cambodia all the way through to Egypt. When there are limited sights and activities in foreign countries it's best not to exhaust all options in one day or run the risk of having nothing to do for the next 5-10 days. Istanbul was no such place. There simply wasn't enough time in the day to experience all the city had to offer. We got lost in the streets, sampled turkish delights in the Spice Market, window shopped down Tarlabasi Avenue, walked like royalty in Topkapi Palace,  ate warm chestnuts in the shadow of the Blue Mosque, dined on fresh fish sandwiches along the waterfront next to the Ataturk Bridge, ferried up the Bosphorus, drank apple tea from hour-glass shaped glasses in outdoor cafes, and devoured delicious meal upon meal from street vendors to restaurants alike. Istanbul was a feast for all the senses. 

Turkey is a massive county and with only 10 days we didn't have too much room to wiggle. Our friends, Craig and Ronit, gave us an itinerary that we followed to the T. We bought tickets from one of the hundred bus companies to get to our first stop, Ephesus. Matt and I went light and traveled with our small packs. We were still shell shocked from Ethiopia's public transportation so we didn't have high hopes for Turkey especially since our start time was 6am. To say that we have never traveled so well on a bus is an understatement. The buses were modern, heck brand new, the seats were comfortable, large and they reclined. Around every two hours or so we were served snacks and tea by a waiter in a crisp white shirt and black bow-tie. We stopped for regular restroom breaks in rest stops that actually were sanitary and provided toilet paper. It was unreal and quite frankly a down right pleasant ride. 

Our guide book lead us into the welcoming and wacky arms of Dervish at the Homeros Guest House in Selcuk just minutes from Ephesus. Dervish built by hand a delightful little oasis full of nick knacks and homey comfort. It's is own Winchester Mystery House that is always evolving and always under construction. Mummy served us a traditional Turkish breakfast and four course dinners in what felt like the living room of their home. We felt like we were with family.

The ruins of Ephesus were fantastic. We got to the site first thing in the morning after a nice leisurely walk about three kilometers from our guest house. We had the ruins all to ourselves until the busloads of gawkers started pouring in an hour later. I'm not sure if it was the low-season or just the nature of the Turkish people but we never felt harassed or bothered. We could walk the streets freely without a care in the world. It was a wonderfully refreshing feeling. 

Our next stop was in Pamukkale to visit the limestone hotsprings. The hillside that is home to the hotsprings is blindingly white and gives the appearance of a fresh layer of powder after a night snowfall. As we made our way up the path the hotsprings looked more like a candy land with frosting dripping like icicles into clear blue pools of pure sugar. We had to take our shoes off to walk along the limestone deposits. At the top of the hotsprings is the most magnificent views with hundreds of pools that cascade into hundreds of more pools below. As the sun sets the colors that reflect off the pools run the full spectrum of the rainbow. We spent hours walking around the ancient city ruins of Hierapolos that sit just above the "cotton castle" as the Turks call Pamukkale. 

The final leg of our tour of Turkey took us to the heart of Cappadocia. Our night bus deposited us in the little backpacker hub of Goreme where you can walk in any direction and trip over a cave guest house. Our host was savvy and played on the weakness of those weary travellers wrecked from the night bus. He corners you in his heated lounge and tries hard to persuade you in taking one of his many day trips. Matt and I nearly caved in and signed up for one of his tours but sleep overcame us and we vowed to catch a few solid winks and make a decision later. It was the best decision we made in Turkey for Goreme offers more to do without actually having to spend a dime. 

Cappadocia is a wonderland for adults and kids alike. The earth has eroded in such a way that landscape is filled with "fairy-chimney" like structures. Over centuries people have carved homes, churches and monasteries into the chimneys. There are even elaborate underground cities that go as deep as 8 floors below the surface housing everything from schools to horse stables. You can just pick a direction and wander through enchanted valleys where a small hole in a chimney may lead to an unexpected cathedral hidden under a mountain of rock. Since we were in Turkey during the low tourist season we had Cappadocia all to ourselves to explore and enjoy. We met up with a fellow traveller from Australia who had an appetite for adventure that far surpassed ours. We went to the underground cities together and turned a 20 minute tour into a 2-3 hour exploration. Armed with only one flash light we became totally addicted to finding new holes in the underground cities honeycomb. We would find the smallest hole and squeeze sometimes up sometimes down, you never really knew which direction you were headed, until we would reach a point of utter darkness. It was wild because in the States you would never be given the freedom to explore like that.

It was hard to leave Cappadocia after three days. There was so much left unexplored. A week maybe even two weeks may not have given the area justice. I was reinvigorated after my time there but our clock was ticking down so we had to return to Istanbul. We took our final bus ride back. Snacks and tea, snacks and tea but this time they were followed by a spritz of lemon cologne in the hands to freshen up. The Turks know how to travel in style. Don't feel too sorry for us because when we got back we treated ourselves to a traditional Turkish bath in one of the oldest bath houses in all of Turkey. We had to go to different sides because they separate the sexes. I was lead to a small room with a bed and a small towel to change. I walked in the awkward wood sandals to an octagon shaped steam room made all of marble where I took a seat next to a sink that spilled steaming hot water onto the floor. When I was sufficiently relaxed a woman lead me to the center of the room to a giant heated slab of marble where she massaged me and scrubbed down easily 10 layers of my dry skin. It was one of the strangest experiences I have ever had and yet I enjoyed every minute of it. 

From the mosques of Istanbu,l to the ruins of Ephesus , to cotton castle of Pamukkale and to the wonderland of Cappadocia's fairy chimneys, to the mouth water peppers with eggs, to the piping hot cups of apple tea Matt and I had an absolute ball in Turkey. We loved it so much we'd go back in a heartbeat. Don't go to Turkey and leave it as a playground for Matt and I. Is that too much to ask?