May 19-20, 2022

May 19-20, 2022

We woke early intending to have breakfast again on the rooftop deck of the hotel. Today it is cool, blustery, with rain coming. Our first. So far, we have had perfect weather. I guess Mother Nature is telling us it is time to go home.

While the rest of the world has eliminated Covid testing, our ridiculous country still requires vaccinated citizens to test negative. So we pay to have a supervised test performed. With fingers crossed, we passed!

Our tour bus drops us at the Izmir Airport an hour away. That is almost prophetic because today is a Holiday celebrating Ataturk's return to Anatolia one hundred years ago starting the Turkish War of Independence. It ended with Ataturk marching into Izmir, taking this last Greek stronghold. Back then the city went by the Greek name of Smyrna. It would take the Turks another year to write a constitution establishing the secular Republic of Turkey in 1923.

At the airport, we boarded our Turkish Airlines flight. Humorously Morgan Freeman is the narrator of a pre-flight commercial. I wonder why they picked him. We traded my window seat for an interior one on a flight two hours earlier. I regretted that, as the sky was clear as we approached Istanbul. The one-hour flight is quickly over. Unfortunately our next flight is not until tonight. We spend all day in the airport.

At 8:30pm we catch our British Airways flight to London Heathrow. Once again our business seat is just economy with a guaranteed empty middle seat. Our flight approaches along the Thames River with the Tower Bridge and London Eye Ferris Wheel both lit up. 

We arranged to overnight in London to break up the long trip. Little did I know that Heathrow of all airports shuts down early. We had to roust up the inter-terminal bus driver to get a transfer across the airport to our next terminal. After what seems miles of walking and asking directions we find the airport Hilton inside the parking lot of Terminal 2. We have nixed Heathrow airport off our list. On the plus side, Aimee and I both get a great nights sleep. We wish we could stay longer.

We are up early to make our way back through Heathrow security (a US passport is the ultimate VIP card) and have breakfast at the business class lounge. At 9:30 am we board our ten-hour flight to Phoenix. It is cloudy almost the entire route. It finally clears over Arizona as we cross over the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately we have another three-hour layover till we can catch our puddle jumper to Tucson. We are glad to be home.

Turkey is a wonderful country to visit. It is scenic, colorful, and full of interesting historical and natural sites. The Turkish people are nice and friendly and apparently very industrious and hard working. It is one of the cleanest countries we have visited. I don't know why it is off the radar on American’s bucket travel lists. The only downside of the trip was Rick Steves. Disappointingly, his travel company was inferior to all the others we have used.

May 18, 2022

May 18, 2022

We left bright and early this morning to tour the ancient Roman city of Ephesus. In Turkish the name is Efes. I didn't realize I have been drinking Ephesus beer throughout Turkey.

The World Heritage city of Ephesus is huge. In classical times it was the second largest city after Rome. We arrived just after opening. The city was built on a sloping valley. Most of the ruins lie on both sides of the main road that descends down the center. We start at the top entrance and work our way downhill. Our first stop is the Bouleuterion Theater (City Council Chamber).

Next we visit the Terrace Houses. This is the most unique part of Ephesus. These are the recently excavated luxury villas of the wealthy citizens. They lived in a wonderfully decorated series of stacked condominium houses, like you would see in modern seaside resorts. Each home was built around an open courtyard and probably had a deck with a view to the sea. Inlaid mosaic tiles covered the floors, and some of the walls were faced with veined marble slabs like you would see in some upscale hotels. Others are painted with frescoes. This area reminds me of Pompeii in Italy.

Just down the main street is the Library of Celsus, the icon of Ephesus. The reconstructed facade is very ornate. In its day, it was the third largest library. The interior space, with niches lining the walls, is surprisingly small. Since scrolls were handwritten, they were rare and expensive and highly treasured.

Any large city has to have a sophisticated plumbing system for supplying water and carrying away waste. The Romans were experts at this municipal technology. We see the terracotta pipes they used exposed everywhere. The interlocking segments look just like the modern version. They must have been produced in massive identical quantities. It was the probably the world's first interchangeable manufactured item.

Aimee cringes when we visit the public restroom. This latrine aside a bathhouse is truly 'public'. I guess this is one way to really get to know your neighbors. Fortunately, it had constantly running water to drown out some of our inconvenient and embarrassing noises.

Farther down the street is another feature that is in good condition, the Great Theater. And great it is. It is the largest theater in the classical world holding 25,000 people in three tiers. The stage is enormous.

After the guided portion of our visit, Aimee and I tried to visit the Terrace Houses again, but we learn our two-week Turkish Heritage pass is limited to a single site visit to each location. We tried to take some better photos of some sights, but the crowd has swelled considerably. The big downside of Ephesus is its close proximity to cruise ship ports of call. When these floating cities arrive, they overwhelm the destination.

We finish by walking around the Agora market ruins ending at the harbor road. Or what would have been the harbor. The Little Meander River silted up in antiquity leaving Ephesus high and dry and abandoned. Today the water is three miles away!

Ephesus also had important biblical connections. St Paul preached here (e.g. Letter to the Ephesians) and it is believed that St John and the Virgin Mary likely lived here after Jesus was crucified.

Back in Kusadasi, we spent the afternoon exploring the Old Town. We celebrated our morning adventure with a refreshing Efes beer at a dive Irish Pub. We wandered the narrow lanes window shopping. We stopped at the 17th century fortress-like Caravanserai. It is now a hotel. Jimmy Carter once stayed here on a visit to Ephesus.

The origins of the city lie on a little island now connected to the mainland by a causeway. A substantial castle was built atop it by the great Ottoman Admiral Barbarossa. We climb its ramparts. There are many interesting storyboards about the local flora.

In the evening we have our farewell dinner with the tour group at a local restaurant. We walk back to our room along the picturesque waterfront.

May 17, 2022

May 17, 2022

Before leaving Pamukkale we make a stop below the Travertine formation to take a photo. Humorously one guy in our group whistles and all of a sudden a line of geese swim towards us. That must be their feeding call.

We drive down the Meander River Valley seeing several geothermal plants utilizing the hot spring water to produce power. They may also be contributors to the water diversion of Pamukkale.

After ninety minutes we reach the ancient city of Aphrodisias. This Greek city dedicated to the Goddess of Love and Beauty is a joy to tour. It is small with some intact ruins that is off the beaten tourist track. We have this World Heritage site mostly to ourselves.

We enter the city via the reconstructed monumental gateway called a Tetrapylon, because of its four columned piers. 

Our next stop is the Stadium, probably the main draw of Aphrodisias. This chariot race track is longer than two football fields and had a capacity of 25,000 spectators. It is the best preserved of the Western World.

We next pass the Temple of Aphrodite. Little of it remains standing as much of the city was destroyed by the same earthquake that hit Hierapolis in the 7th century.

Around the corner is the Bouleuterion. This is a small theater that housed the city council chamber. Here would be debated municipal matters. Our Congress could take a few pointers.

The city had a public bath with tiled floor and heated water. It also had a large public theater for the performance of dramas. And every town had to have an Agora or marketplace. The lengthy oval market here had a decorative pond in the middle.

Finished with the ruins, we made a brief visit to the onsite Museum. Aphrodisias had a large School of Sculpture, so the museum has lots of marble statues and sarcophagi. In particular it has lots of sculpted heads.

We had lunch at a nearby restaurant. The dessert was unusual this time (not the normal Baklava or Rice Pudding). It was called Halva and is a sugary confection of Tahini and Sesame oil.

We spent the rest of the afternoon driving west to Kusadasi on the Aegean coast. It is a beautiful seaside resort town. We have a beer on the hotel’s rooftop Pool Bar. Dinner is down the street at a harbor-side restaurant. We split a Sea Bass entree.

May 16, 2022

May 16, 2022

We left Antalya, Turkey heading northwest. We had to climb the Taurus Mountains again. In the foothills is carved a giant Ataturk face just like our Mt. Rushmore. At our first rest stop, we decided to buy some Ice cream because it is dessert time at home.

Our next stop was in the town of Korkuteli. They were having their weekly market. It is spread out over a large area and people have stalls selling anything a household would need. I find it fascinating that many countries in the world, no matter how advanced (eg Europe/Australia), have inefficient retail operations. There is no Walmart or department store here. 

We stop for lunch at a cafe overlooking the town of Denizli in the Menderes River valley. In Greek, it was called the Meander River. Its winding route is the source of our meaning.

On the north side of town we see a white scar on the hillside. This is Pamukkale. In Turkish this name means Cotton Castle and that is probably a good description for the hot springs here. Like Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone, the water bubbling up is full of minerals. On exposure to air the lime precipitates forming cascading Travertine pools of turquoise water. Unlike Yellowstone, these springs have been a tourist magnet for thousands of years drawing major development. Newly built spa hotels have been built diverting water to their private thermal baths. As a result the water going to this natural ‘cotton castle’ has to be rationed. Sections of the immense wall of white are now only intermittently watered.

Like all over the world, hot springs were considered to be therapeutic. A huge Greco-Roman city grew up around this one called Hierapolis (sacred city). Our first stop is one of the original thermal pools that is open to the public. In the 7th century a major earthquake hit destroying the city. This waterhole nicknamed ‘Cleopatra’s pool’ still has downed marble columns and pediments strewn along the bottom. I change into my swimming trunks and swim through the tepid water. It seems kind of dirty so I don't spend much time in it.

Afterwards Aimee and I walk through the World Heritage city ruins. We start outside the walls in the necropolis. Many of those hoping to be healed died and were buried here in elaborate tombs. We walk back through the main city gate along Frontinus Street towards the city theater and main public baths.

Inside the ruins of the bath complex with its arched walls is a small museum of relics. It would be interesting except for the fact we have visited some outstanding museums on our trip. Surprisingly we see some Egyptian god statues in the museum. We also meet a young Iranian Catholic girl who recently moved to Turkey.

We then check into our hotel on the outskirts of Hierapolis. This resort hotel has a thermal pool that is one contributor to the water loss at Pamukkale.

In the late evening, we cross the street to attend a Whirling Dervish demonstration. We watch three Sufi men who meditate while spinning in long white dresses. The skirts must be weighted somehow to make them billow into these umbrella like forms. After the performance we have a buffet dinner in the hotel.

May 15, 2022

May 15, 2022

We set out to explore Antalya, Turkey this morning. A block away is Hadrian's Gate. This is a triumphal entrance in the city wall that was built to honor the visit of the Emperor in 130 AD.

Hall of Emperors

We then take a long stroll west to visit the Antalya Museum. It thunders the whole way but we get lucky and the rain doesn’t let loose till we get inside. This archeological museum starts with some general Greco-Roman exhibits covering the materials used including textile spinning and weaving, glass, bronze, and a variety of ceramics. But what makes this museum special is the superb collection of statuary that was found in the local area, especially at the Roman site of Perge just ten miles east of here. The quality of these monumental statues is astounding and they rival the ones we saw in Istanbul. In particular the sculpture comes from the late Roman period when artists became freer and produced the most elaborate pieces. Statues with free-flowing robes and extended poses are much more fragile and less likely to survive.

Dionysus Sarcophagus

There is also a great collection of sarcophagi found in Perge. Many are very elaborate and quite a few are decorated with Hercules and his twelve labors for some reason. I have to say though my favorite is one that has Aphrodite and a number of intertwined figures on it.

For lunch we eat at another outdoor cafe overlooking the bay. We have fish soup and a green salad. We think it has either pesto or avocado paste in it. The dressing is the Turkish traditional olive oil with some kind of sweet Pomegranate vinegar. Again it is both delicious and inexpensive.

Afterwards we stroll along the shoreline checking out the overlooks, the harbor, and tourist shops. There are snippets of the original city walls along our walk. We also tried the local ice cream for the first time. We have been reluctant because ordering it often comes with an amusing but lengthy comic routine. Back at the hotel we relaxed for a few hours. We had dinner at the same seaside restaurant as last night.

May 14, 2022

May 14, 2022

Before leaving Konya, Turkey we walked to Bedestan, the historical covered bazaar. On the way we visited the Aziziye Mosque, one of few that is not domed. It was built in 1874 in the Baroque style when the Ottoman Empire was trying to be more European. I am getting good at taking my shoes off while standing on one leg.

Bedestan today is the local market. Everything is for sale in this bazaar. We stroll through the covered fruit and vegetable market. It is very colorful. The presentation is sometimes so different than ours. There are enormous chunks of moldy blue cheese just laying out in the open.

In the outdoor areas, we pass stores for everything, Cows feet is a popular butcher shop item. Several stores surprise us. One stand was selling milking machines, and several were selling tombstones! I guess you can't leave that to the last minute.

We leave Konya driving south. To reach the coast we have to cross over the Taurus Mountain Range. They are tall and snow-covered and beautiful. We stop along the way at a resort for lunch. We eat at an outdoor cafe in the pine trees. It takes us quite a while to navigate the Taurus Mountains. Even though the road is wide and well constructed it has to switchback constantly doubling the distance.

Once over the mountains we can see the Mediterranean Sea. This area is nicknamed the Turquoise Coast. There are large greenhouses everywhere. Mostly they are growing bananas. This area was once prime beach destination for northern Europeans, especially Russians and Ukrainians. Sadly they are too busy right now.

The shoreline of Turkey was part of the Greco-Roman world. We pass the remnants of a Roman aqueduct. We stop to visit the ancient town of Aspendos. It has the best preserved theater of antiquity and it is a beaut. The backstage wall is nearly intact only missing its decorative sculpture. The seating and stairs are in great condition, with even upper and lower tiers like in modern stadiums.

After photographing it from multiple directions, we hike up to the hill behind to get a great view of the theater and the Taurus Mountains in the background. There are others ruins, like a stadium, but we don't have time to explore them.

We continue our drive to Antalya where we check into our home for the next two days. This is a resort town where we are going to relax.

We have dinner with a few of our travel partners at a waterfront restaurant. We were told it is very expensive. I had Calamari and wine and it cost less than $15. I guess it is all relative. Fortunately for us the Turks are debasing their currency more than the USA.

May 13, 2022

May 13, 2022

Aimee and I both woke up with headaches. Too much cheap Turkish wine last night. We packed up and left heading southwest. We stopped in the remote Cappadocian town of Guzelyurt. The name means 'beautiful country' in Turkish. It is an apt description. Just outside of town, we get a dramatic view of a hilltop church with the peaks of Mt Hasan in the distance.

In Guzelyurt we meet the local Imam. His mosque is small but quite beautiful and colorful inside, The Imam told us it is his full time job and that he is paid by the state of Turkey. None of the other religions are state sponsored.  Amusingly he told us there would be peace in the world if everyone was Muslim and followed the rule of the Koran. The Imam walked with us to the historic area.

We first visited the 4th century St Gregory Church with its distinctive Romanesque barrel arch nave. At some point it was converted to a mosque and all the sacred murals whitewashed. Next door is another Underground City. We were the only visitors. I thought it was just going to be a few rooms but there were shafts with toe holds cut to reach another large chamber below. There was still another vertical shaft with toe holds, but after descending again the artificial lights ended. Although this complex is probably smaller than the Underground City we saw yesterday I like this one better because of its authenticity. The Underground City we toured yesterday with its crowd and modern openings now seems like the Disneyland version of a human ant hill.

We kept on driving stopping at a truck stop again for lunch. The food at these oasis cafeterias has been surprisingly good.

Our next stop was in Sultanhani to see its Caravanserai, the largest in Turkey. These medieval inns are all over Turkey and were placed about 15 miles apart on the Silk Road, the distance a camel could walk in one day. I can't believe how large this one is. The solid stone structure meant it also served as a military outpost. This caravanserai has a monumental entrance and two wings. The first courtyard is for people and has a tiny mosque in the center; the second is a stable for the animals. Control of the western leg of the Silk Road was one source of the Ottoman Empire’s wealth. From the East also came the weaponry technology they employed to conquer Constantinople and Eastern Europe.

In the late afternoon we arrived in the city of Konya, once the capital of the Seljuk Turks who predate the Ottoman Turks. We stop at the Tomb of Mevlana Rumi. He was a Persian poet and theologian who developed the Sufi sect of Islam. This philosophy encouraged the spiritual self-discipline aspect of the religion. Its most distinctive element is the meditation done while turning (e.g. Whirling Dervish). The tomb is a major pilgrimage site (and apparently also a school trip destination). As a result Konya is one of the most conservative regions. Unlike Ankara and Istanbul most women here are wearing headscarves.

We finish the day at our hotel in downtown Konya. We have dinner in the Hotel Lounge on the roof. Humorously they are out of almost everything, except Chicken Fajitas, our second Mexican entree. It was delicious. Unfortunately I had to drink my whiskey and soda back in our hotel room.

May 12, 2022

May 12, 2022

Our first stop this morning was in Urgup at a viewpoint to see the Three Graces, three tall fairy chimneys that symbolize Cappadocia.

We then drove to the nearby town of Ortahisar to have tea with a local resident. Her town has a steep rocky hill that is honeycombed with holes. It seems most of the Cappadocia towns were built around these natural castles.

Next was our required Carpet Shop demonstration. Like Egypt they hand tie their rugs, but these women work much slower, probably because they are making intricate designs with lots of colors. Afterwards we were assigned a salesman and he clung to me like sticky rice, almost pleading for a purchase. Of course several people bought carpets. We were served lunch while watching the sales spiel.

Thirty minutes south is Kaymakli Underground City. This is an amazing place. It is like an ant hill for people. Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble would have felt at home here. The former residents probably dug holes into the hills for rooms as the Volcanic tuff is relatively easy to carve. Cappadocia was historically a Christian community. They came under attack during the Muslim conquests. It is believed that the Christians dug further into the rock for safety. And dig they did. The modern entrance is very large but the complex quickly narrows into tiny shafts that open up into bedroom-size chambers. We continue exploring until we reach a depth of 180 feet. The amount of digging the residents had to do was mind-boggling. They must have felt they were in serious danger for a long period of time. The terrain worked in their favor. The landscape is very reminiscent of the Dakota Badlands and the cave entrances would have been easy to hide. We saw how they secured one entrance. A disc-shaped rock could be rolled into a groove blocking the passage easily.

Aimee doesn't like caves so she was happy when we made it back to the surface. We then spent some time checking out the outside surface of the hill. It is heavily pockmarked with caves and holes. An enemy would have been very reluctant to enter these dark passages, not knowing the danger, and unaware an entire city was below their feet.

On the way back to the hotel we passed a section of low mesas topped with hard basalt. Digging must be in the local genetics as the hillsides are dotted with storage caves closed with garage doors. This is the Cappadocian version of our Public Storage. We saw one unit that was receiving two truckloads of potatoes for storage.

We stopped at a grocery to purchase snacks and then drove to the Meskendir Canyon trailhead. We hiked down hill following a trickle of water. Eventually the valley walls became sheer white cliffs reminding us of Zion Narrows. We even passed under several water cut arches. Normally the tuff is sculpted in gentle slopes. Here the tuff must be harder as the white cliff walls are nearly vertical. So cool! Surprisingly there are pigeon roosts carved high on the cliff seemingly impossible to reach.

We hike for two hours until the canyon widens dramatically. Our tour bus meets us at the far end and we drive to the Red Canyon Overlook to watch the sun set. A bride and groom are taking photos there. We have snacks and drink some Turkish Wine. Aimee had a great time.