Sunday, August 1, 2010

Turkey Delights!

"Gorunen koy kilavuz istemez". translation: "The one who enters a Turkish bath sweats".
(Used to point out that one's actions detemine the consequences and therefore one should not complain about them later.)
~Turkish Proverb



(Pictures: Aya Sophia and inside the Aya Sophia)

Making our way up through the Middle East we were ready to start our slow transition back to Western cultures. Sitting at the meeting points of the "east" and "west" Turkey figured to be the perfect launching pad to the next stage in our lives.
Arriving at the border was a smooth and orderly affair. The only hiccup was that in the line-up for passport control a "number 2" sat on the ground. Seriously. The painfully slow line of people discreetly examined the intruder followed by a customs guard breaking off a Turkish conversation to say in perfect english, "what is that!". As far as entries into a country this had to be on the low end. It had to get better from here. It did.


(Pictures: Entrance to Topkapi Palace, Sultan's Harem Room)

Joel's parents had traveled through Turkey 40 years ago and spoke glowingly about thier experiences here. As they traveled from north to south they recalled Istanbul being a gateway to the Middle East and North Africa. For us coming in the opposite direction it's our re-entry into Europe. Cobble stone roads, tramways, a language using Roman letters, these were all comforts that we didn't realized appealed to us so much. The "Europeness" of Instanbul is unquestionable but the influence of Central Asia and Russia are instantly reconizable. Combined with the Arabic and Islamic inprint on society makes for a facinating cultural mixture.
Aside from having one of the greatest skylines in the world, possessing the waters of Europe and Asia lapping at it's shores and boasting a cosmopolitan city infinitley proud of itself Istanbul seems extremely liveable. Within hours of our arrival Tina decided that this was a place we could live. Maybe not soon, but it seems very appealing.


(Pictures: The Blue Mosque)

Just wandering around the streets of the city you can't help but stumble upon the remnants of the Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and Turkish civilizations. Standing at the Aya Sofia reminded us of being at the Taj Mahal in Delhi or Winter Palace in St. Petersburg - it's a human creation that is truly stunning. Walking inside felt like touring a functional piece of art. Along with the fantastic aestetics, the history of the building flipping from mosque/church/museum echoed the history of the country underlining its importance as an embassador of Turkey.

Highlights of the city not to be missed are the Blue Mosque, Palace, and underground cistern. The only drawback of course is that the rest of Europe already knows this. This is the first place in the last three years of living and travelling that we have been overwhelmed by tourists. We surely aren't blazing a new trail here but it's incredibly impressive.




(Pictures: Underground Cistern and Medusa Head Pedestal in the Cistern)

(Picture: Spice Market, Istanbul)

After a few days in Istanbul we had to pry ourselves away to see other parts of the country. We had our sites on the cave dwelling villages set in the region of Cappadoccia in Central Anatolia.

During the Roman and Byzantine times Christians settled in this region to protect themselves from persecution. The towering pillars of limestone were large enough and soft enough to allow these people to bury there homes inside of the rocks. Whole communities lived in these rocks creating homes, churches, monasteries and schools that would do Barney Rubble proud. Presently the towns are still inhabited but the caves are used for travellers to stay in. An unforgetable experience.






(Breathtaking Cappadocia Landscape)



(Pictures: Goreme Open Air Museum and Painted ceiling within Cave Churches)
We spent several days exploring the region hiking through the valleys and taking trips to neighbouring communities. In these trips we found incredibly detailed frescoes on the walls of cave monasteries, detailed rock embedded communities and entire underground cities.
We took a trip to see an underground city that plunged 8 floors beneath the earth's surface. This city included living quarters, animal quarters, schools, monasteries, kitchens and eating areas. It was capable of holding a population of 5000 people at any one time. The Christians lived in these underground cities when under threat from invading armies and a system of warning lights relayed this danger from as far as Jerusalem. This trip was one of the few times that Joel celebrated his vertically challenged build.

(Picture: Pigeon Valley)


(Picture: Hiking in the Ilhara Valley)

We planned to stay only a few days but extended our stay to both gain an appreciation of this "Star Wars" setting and take a few days to relax. We met some interesting travellers during these days and boarded the bus still gazing out the windows in wonder.


(Picture of other people taking balloon rides in Goreme)

With our departure time quickly looming we returned to Istanbul to experience some of her real pleasure - nightlife, a Bosphorus cruise and a day in a Hammam (a Turkish Bath). A good travel friend from Asia put us in contact with her relatives here and they kindly took us out in Istanbul. For a couple that are often in bed before 10pm this was a scary proposition. The evening was eye opening in that the country is 95% Muslim but this night was nothing like the evenings of juice sipping and sheesha smoking on the 'wild streets' of Muscat. Our hosts discussed this with us and explained that this proves a point of contention in regional affairs. Fun to see so many people (including ourselves) having such a good time.
In the morning we headed to one of the oldest Hammams in Istanbul. Neither of us were particularily looking forward to the event but when in Constantinople....
We've been married for about 6 months and Joel now admits that Tina has competition - he's old, fat, Turkish and doesn't speak a lick of english. But for an afternoon he tossed Joel all over a hot stone slab, grunting inaudible instructions, looking scornfully and scrubbing 30 years of dirt off him. The fact that he splashed soap in Joel's eyes causing him to flail miserably in pain did little to deflate the love.



(Picture: Taksim Square, Istanbul)



(Picture: Bosphorus River Cruising)



(Picture: Cemberitas Hammam in Istanbul)

As we prepare to leave Instanbul if any of you are thinking of travelling to Turkey we greatly encourage you to do so. It's no secret but you can't blame a great destination for being popular. The mix of cultures, histories and current political changes make it far more interesting than merely the terrific sites that it offers.

This stop has suitably started "westernizing" us and our next stop will ensure our Engish is up to par.

London's calling...