Turkey 2002
I finally left Ios (Greece).......After 6 weeks of going out dancing/drinking until 7a, barwork and living on the beach. It was time to go. I had a great time and met loads of great people.
Plus the Greeks were starting to get to me. They were always yelling and trying to get more money from me aside from being rude, aggressive and impatient. I even lost my apartment because I refused to pay additional electricity and water on top of my rent. So I fled the Island. With a few exceptions and my Greek friends George in Athens not to many good things to say about the greeks. They all have the same names -Dimitry, Nicho, Yannis and George.
After a long ferry (several delays) I arrived in Bodrum Turkey. It had good night life and a lot of shopping but was too modern and full of tourists. Not what I was looking for so an hour later I jumped on a bus to Seljuk near the ancient ruins of Epheses.
I missed a nice castle and one of the 7 wonders of the world though( next time).
Now I felt like I was in turkey! No English to be heard or spoken just the Turks and me. I got off the bus and had my first donner kebab then found a hostel and experimented further with Turkish food. You have to try a pide (Turkish pizza) mmmm. Saw the ruins of Epheses and the other 7th wonder of the world( turkey has 2 of them).
I then went south down the angean coast to Fetye and then a place called the butterfly valley (awesome place...). You can only get there by boat 3 times in the day. It feels like the movie the Beach only with fewer people. Crystal turquoise blue water with waterfalls, butterflies and huge enclosing cliffs. A place to eat, a few tents and 2 open huts with grapevines making up the rooftops.
After, I went to Lake Kogiz with a 2 nice Turkish girls I met in butterfly valley. I realised through them that some Turks are really modern and behave much like Europeans....A minority!
I experienced my first shave at a Turkish barbershop something everyone needs to try once. The girls took me to translate and didn't try to contain their laughter either.
The whole thing must have taken an hour. My head got shaved, my face a few times, countless creams, powders, aftershaves and shampos were applied, and even my face got washed. An in-depth massage and then I got attacked with huge plucking wires and pendulums of fire thrown against the sides of my face. Definitely an experience to remember.
The next day we took a boat trip through the deltas to Daylan beach where there are native sea turtles and passed the kings tombs which are imbedded into the mountains. They remind me of the last Indiana Jones movie.
I stopped though pamakale some calcium rich pools in the middle of nowhere and then Olympus (also in the middle of nowhere).Its known for its tree top houses and a chimeria (not to far away) which has natural burning fires in the mountains.
I ended up Cappadocia in the heart of turkey. I visited an underground city and saw people who still live in caves. It's a spectacular site full of lunar shaped rocks some of which look like something out of the Flintstones.
Finally, today I arrived in Istanbul still much to see. I am staying near the grand bazaar facing the Haga Sophia, the Blue mosque, and Topakai palace.Istanbulis an immense city, modern with a tram system, and a metro, but also full history and chaos. Waiting to take a Turkish bath and go to the Asian side.
I found the Turks very friendly, helpful and hospitable, and many to be modern and liberal. In western turkey it was pleasant to travel(besides language issues).The bus system is great and cheap. They even have stewards to hand out coffee, tea, little snacks and the handwipes.
Try the pizza and the apple tea. Drinks are never included and price is always an issue to negotiate. Ask what things cost first.Sleep is hard the mosque loudspeakers goes off 5 times a day for prayer. Starting at 530 am. The food is so cheap you can afford to eat and a lot( I did consistently).
The toilets are holes in the ground.
Plus the Greeks were starting to get to me. They were always yelling and trying to get more money from me aside from being rude, aggressive and impatient. I even lost my apartment because I refused to pay additional electricity and water on top of my rent. So I fled the Island. With a few exceptions and my Greek friends George in Athens not to many good things to say about the greeks. They all have the same names -Dimitry, Nicho, Yannis and George.
After a long ferry (several delays) I arrived in Bodrum Turkey. It had good night life and a lot of shopping but was too modern and full of tourists. Not what I was looking for so an hour later I jumped on a bus to Seljuk near the ancient ruins of Epheses.
I missed a nice castle and one of the 7 wonders of the world though( next time).
Now I felt like I was in turkey! No English to be heard or spoken just the Turks and me. I got off the bus and had my first donner kebab then found a hostel and experimented further with Turkish food. You have to try a pide (Turkish pizza) mmmm. Saw the ruins of Epheses and the other 7th wonder of the world( turkey has 2 of them).
I then went south down the angean coast to Fetye and then a place called the butterfly valley (awesome place...). You can only get there by boat 3 times in the day. It feels like the movie the Beach only with fewer people. Crystal turquoise blue water with waterfalls, butterflies and huge enclosing cliffs. A place to eat, a few tents and 2 open huts with grapevines making up the rooftops.
After, I went to Lake Kogiz with a 2 nice Turkish girls I met in butterfly valley. I realised through them that some Turks are really modern and behave much like Europeans....A minority!
I experienced my first shave at a Turkish barbershop something everyone needs to try once. The girls took me to translate and didn't try to contain their laughter either.
The whole thing must have taken an hour. My head got shaved, my face a few times, countless creams, powders, aftershaves and shampos were applied, and even my face got washed. An in-depth massage and then I got attacked with huge plucking wires and pendulums of fire thrown against the sides of my face. Definitely an experience to remember.
The next day we took a boat trip through the deltas to Daylan beach where there are native sea turtles and passed the kings tombs which are imbedded into the mountains. They remind me of the last Indiana Jones movie.
I stopped though pamakale some calcium rich pools in the middle of nowhere and then Olympus (also in the middle of nowhere).Its known for its tree top houses and a chimeria (not to far away) which has natural burning fires in the mountains.
I ended up Cappadocia in the heart of turkey. I visited an underground city and saw people who still live in caves. It's a spectacular site full of lunar shaped rocks some of which look like something out of the Flintstones.
Finally, today I arrived in Istanbul still much to see. I am staying near the grand bazaar facing the Haga Sophia, the Blue mosque, and Topakai palace.Istanbulis an immense city, modern with a tram system, and a metro, but also full history and chaos. Waiting to take a Turkish bath and go to the Asian side.
I found the Turks very friendly, helpful and hospitable, and many to be modern and liberal. In western turkey it was pleasant to travel(besides language issues).The bus system is great and cheap. They even have stewards to hand out coffee, tea, little snacks and the handwipes.
Try the pizza and the apple tea. Drinks are never included and price is always an issue to negotiate. Ask what things cost first.Sleep is hard the mosque loudspeakers goes off 5 times a day for prayer. Starting at 530 am. The food is so cheap you can afford to eat and a lot( I did consistently).
The toilets are holes in the ground.
posted by Marco at
10:55 am
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