Week 5 Up through western Turkey
Day 28 Sailing in the Med
We couldn't get enough of the great view from our room, it made us late for breakfast and then the bus ride to Kekova. We spent the whole day on this sailing excursion, onboard a small motorboat, stopping at various swimming spots and eating and drinking to our hearts delight. Throughout the day the water was beautifully warm, very clean and there was only a light zephyr blowing. There were plenty of boats around but it never felt too crowded.
The water was so inviting that it was hard to stay out, however with clear, blue skies the danger of getting sunburnt meant having to be careful. In the afternoon we sailed into a small bay, formerly used for boat building over 2000 years ago with some remains still visible. Further along we passed what was a significant settlement, Batik Sehir, which was destroyed in an earthquake and now only steps and walls remain.
We anchored in Simena across the bay and climbed the hill above town to the ancient fort. Originally built by Lycians, then rebuilt by Romans, Greeks and Ottomans, the majority of it is still intact. The views from the summit were sensational as it is surrounded by water and there was so much to see in every direction. On our descent we stopped at the "I'm Here Cafe" and enjoyed some amazing homemade ice cream with flavours such as prickly pear, mulberry and melon. The proprietor Mustafa is a clown and he entertained us with stories of his friends around the world and with his cat, Garfield.
After a day with too much to eat and drink, dinner back in Kas was minimal. It will be a shame to leave here tomorrow, its a lovely little town in a spectacular setting.
Day 29 Along the coast to Fethiye
A short days drive today, a bit more westwards past some truly wonderful scenery, the Med on one side and mountains on the other. There wasn't much traffic on the road so we arrived near our destination by late morning.
First up we visited a ghost town, Kakakoy, deserted since the Greek population left during the great population exchange in the 1920's. The Greeks worked the fields below and lived for centuries in stone houses in the hills above. Thousands lived here and because of the stony nature of the land most of the cottages and churches are still standing and easily visited with little vegetation.
On the way down to our hotel we stopped have a look at a hillside with rock tombs carved into the side about 3,000 years ago during the Lycian times. Almost like Petra in Jordan or Ajanta in India on smaller scale, it was a practice that did not continue anywhere else in Turkey.
Fethiye (pronounced Feteeya) is a city that was flattened by a 7.1 earthquake in 1957 therefore nothing of historical significance is left. It is home to thousands of Poms who arrived for the cheap real estate and the weather. A bit like the Costa del Sol in Spain we saw egg & chips advertised in the cafes and some very similar supermarket names - Azda & Saintsburys??
Another relaxing afternoon, a blessing because it was a roasting 36degC. We've certainly had some varying wifi during this trip, here it is brilliant, yesterday only in the lobby and restaurant was it passable. It can be frustrating as Sally is trying to organise next semesters tutorials for her students and we use WhatsApp exclusively for family communication when overseas.
In the evening we decided to do our own thing and wandered down to the seafront, about 20 minutes walk. It was full of cafes, restaurants and shops with all sorts of food available and people everywhere. We managed to catch the red sun setting on the grey beach.
Turkey attracts visitors from all over the Arab world; we have seen and heard tourists from Russia, Western Europe, Morocco, Lebanon, China of course, Korea, Japan and USA. It is cheap and there is plenty to see and do plus the weather is fine and hot.
Day 30 "Cotton Castle"
Another day of driving and sightseeing, there are times like today when it would be nice to have a break of 3 or 4 days to just stop and not travel or visit attractions. We drove north through the mountains for a bit over 3 hours passing a lot of farmland and quite a number of mining operations including a few marble quarries. We lunched in the city of Denizli with lots of fresh Turkish flat bread, dips and a spicy lamb soup before a quick drive to our hotel in Pamukkale (literally Cotton Castle).
In the late afternoon it was off up the hill above town to marvel at the famous spectacular bright white terraces and visit the ancient Roman city of Hierapolis. The Romans recognised the benefits of natural hot springs and built their largest city in the region beside these waters that fix circulation and digestive problems. With high calcium bicarbonate content the bright white deposits form terraces and cascade over the rocks giving a very unusual effect. Growing up in NZ Tony remembers historical photos of the Pink & White Terraces destroyed by a volcanic eruption and these have similar characteristics.
There were literally thousands of people visiting the springs and a hot pool reputedly gifted by Marc to Cleopatra, at this time of the day. They were walking along the travertines, an upper terrace about 250 metres long, some slipping over on the reddish algal covering. In recognition of the importance of this site the Turkish government in the 1960's demolished numerous hotels built nearby which were sucking the springs dry. Unfortunately there's still now a need to replenish the water from other sources.
In order to have a good look at Hieropolis we caught a bus a couple of kilometres from the hot springs to view a few of the outstanding remaining tombs, gates and roads. The city evidently contained a population of over 200,000 at it's most popular and it certainly spread out a fair distance. There are thousands of marble and rock artefacts strewn over the hillsides and a few major structures are either still standing or have been rebuilt including a massive theatre with near vertical steeply angled semi-circular seats. The necropolis and the north gate seem to have survived the earthquake that destroyed most of the city in the 2ndC AD and many of the drains and the cistern look in remarkable condition. We wandered around in the windy hot conditions quite amazed that much of the area we were traversing had been covered in vegetation only 60 years ago before major archaeological work began and Unesco began to get interested.
Day 31 Aegean Coast
The road system in Turkey is very good, roads and highways are well maintained and the signage is first class. Many major highways are toll roads, without tollgates however, as all vehicles are fitted. with a small disc that is read periodically by a sensor. The drivers do like to take the odd risk or two, especially when passing near corners and rating them on a scale of 1 to 10 (good to bad), they are about 6 or 7. On a rating system Sri Lankan bus drivers are the tops at 10, Indians are 8, Italians are 6, British are 3, Germans are 2 and Aussies about 4.
Today's drive took us west through a valley for just over 3 hours, alongside a large aluminium pipe for a hundred kilometres, that was carrying hot water from geo-thermal springs to power a number of large power stations. Turkey sits on the "ring of fire", has had plenty of recent volcanic activity and is one of the worlds five biggest geo-thermal power producers (quiz question, name the other 4).
Arriving in Selcuk around lunchtime we visited the Temple of Artemis, a lone marble column is all that really remains. We had a lovely meal in a little restaurant in the centre of the city where cooked dishes were piled up in a semi-circle and we could choose what we wanted; our choice included zucchini fritters, meatballs with potato and carrot, broccoli, sautéed mushrooms, aubergine moussaka, brown rice.
Our little pension called interestingly "Amazon Palace" had the rooms enclosed around a courtyard with a meal area upstairs and a swimming pool. We waited out the heat, another 35+ day, although it was hotter in the UK and France!
The walk up to St Johns Basilica was thankfully short. Built by Justinian (Byzantine Emperor who built Hagia Sofia in Istanbul) in the 6thC AD, it stands over the believed burial site of St John the Evangelist. Unfortunately most of the structure has either fallen down in earthquakes or been pillaged, however it commands a lovely position on a hill overlooking the town and the valley to the sea. Tony wandered up and had a look inside the walls of the Ottoman castle above where again little remains.
We wandered around town, into a few tourist shops until we lost interest. We were planning on a quiet evening however our guide being misinformed by his company, assumed it was Tony's birthday and invited us out to dinner where a special birthday cake was enjoyed by all the tour group.
Day 32 Ephesus
Ata thankfully organised an early start, to beat the heat and the crowds, to visit the ancient Roman city of Ephesus, a 5 minute drive from Selcuk. Originally settled in 10,000BC by the Hittites, then attacked and taken by the Lycians in 6thC BC and for the next couple of thousand years fought over by Persians and then Greeks. It became the most important Greek city in Asia Minor until the Romans arrived in 189BC. Under Roman rule, Ephesus was a centre of commercial activity and the most impressive example of a city in these lands. Originally settled because it was a major port, because of silting of the river the coast is now 5 kilometres distant and the port fell out of use. In early Christian times Ephesus saw the arrival and protests against St Paul, as described in the New Testament and was the city St John died in. A major earthquake in the 7thC destroyed most of the city.
We had the entire morning to see the ancient city, which winds down a valley towards the old port. Starting where esteemed visitors arrived at the Agora, we walked to the theatre or Odeon, a 1400 seat area used for concerts and parliament. 2000 year old pipes that delivered fresh water to the city can seen everywhere. There are temples, gates, alters and monuments all along the marble road where shops, brothels, baths and fountains would have also lined the street. A large library in a very prominent position has mostly been rebuilt and the 24,000 seat stadium is at present being the worked on. The public toilets are obvious in their design and intent, evidently well-to-do citizens got their slaves to warm the seats for them in the cold winters.
A lot of work has been done to resurrect Ephesus by the Turkish and Austrian governments and archaeological teams can be seen on duty. The best example of their work is an area of terrace houses, now sheltered beneath a roof and part of a special museum where mosaics and frescoes have been unearthed and cleaned.
By the time we departed for lunch the place was heaving with visitors and tour buses lined the carpark outside. Lunch was nearby at a pide restaurant, lovely wood-fired Turkish pizzas and we had fresh lemonada to accompany them.
A relaxing afternoon in the aircon meant we were all ready to drive about 30 minutes into the hills to Sirince, a little village of winemakers. We tasted white and red varieties, all of which were of a very good standard and also a few fruit wines: cherry, pomegranate and melon. Plenty of market stalls selling hand painted plates, jewellery and clothes were browsed through before we had dinner, overlooking the valley, in a family-run restaurant where Turkish ravioli is the specialty.
Day 33 Long drive to Canakkale
Over 5 hours on the bus, mostly on motorways, up the Aegean coast to the pretty university city of Canakkale. The scenery was interesting as we traversed a mountain range, crossed the third biggest city Izmir and passed through farmland and coastal scenery. On the way we stopped at Troja, or Troy, the ancient city made famous by Homer in his Iliad. This settlement had eleven iterations, either conquered or destroyed by earthquakes, the foundations of the last one were used to build the next. Originally pre-bronze age, it was still being used by the early Ottomans.
There is a Trojan horse, of course, of course. At the entrance to the ancient site, a wooden one has been erected to satisfy the tourists.
Then when we walked along the waterfront in Canakkale, the Trojan Horse from the 2004 film Troy, stands proudly looking over the Bosphorus towards the Gallipoli peninsula. As this was the final evening our travelling group, Mustafa our diver and Ata our guide would all be together, we took the opportunity to have a final meal together. We all gathered in a restaurant next to the ferry terminal, including Bob the septegenarian Geordie on his 23rd Intrepid trip who only normally eats one meal per day. It was a nice occasion, a speech was made and tips presented and a few drinks consumed.
Day 34 Gallipoli on the last day
A very early start to catch the 7am ferry over to European Turkey for our morning touring the WW1 battle sites and war memorials. By coming early we missed any other visitors and were able to enjoy Anzac Cove in serenity and peace. Our first impressions were of fields of sunflowers, hillsides covered in pines and shrubs and rocky beaches and lapping waters.
It is so difficult to envisage the thousands of men fighting all over the hills, thirsty, injured, dying and then leaving after 8 months. There is little left now except a few trenches, a road delineates where no-mans land was with Turkish, Australian, New Zealand and British war memorials and story boards of the major battles. We visited Lone Pine cemetery, the Turkish war memorial and Chunuk Bair, scene of the last major allied offensive. The beach, where the soldiers were brought in rowing boats, where first aid posts and campaign headquarters were set up and from where the only real success of the campaign, the withdrawal took place is now so serene.
It was a privilege to be able to visit this sacred site on a lovely, warm summers morning with the birds singing and little disturbance. Now it was time to return to the metropolis of Istanbul, along the coast of the Sea of Mamara. Until we were 100kms from the city, progress was rapid however it did slow to a crawl on the 2 lane highway, with roadworks, traffic police stops and frustrated drivers.
With our official trip finished it was time to bid farewell to our fellow Intrepid travellers who were all off in different directions: to Egypt, Croatia and in our case home to Perth tomorrow evening. We'll spend the morning doing some last minute shopping and working out how we'll get all our purchases including the carpet bought in Kyrgyzstan into our suitcases.
We've had a ball over the past five weeks, it has been a great mid-winter break for both of us. We both heartily recommend all three countries we've visited, they all have fantastic scenery, amazing history and are friendly and welcoming. We feel we will return home enriched and energised and are looking forward to putting out more travel blogs in future. The
Day 28 Sailing in the Med
We couldn't get enough of the great view from our room, it made us late for breakfast and then the bus ride to Kekova. We spent the whole day on this sailing excursion, onboard a small motorboat, stopping at various swimming spots and eating and drinking to our hearts delight. Throughout the day the water was beautifully warm, very clean and there was only a light zephyr blowing. There were plenty of boats around but it never felt too crowded.
The water was so inviting that it was hard to stay out, however with clear, blue skies the danger of getting sunburnt meant having to be careful. In the afternoon we sailed into a small bay, formerly used for boat building over 2000 years ago with some remains still visible. Further along we passed what was a significant settlement, Batik Sehir, which was destroyed in an earthquake and now only steps and walls remain.
We anchored in Simena across the bay and climbed the hill above town to the ancient fort. Originally built by Lycians, then rebuilt by Romans, Greeks and Ottomans, the majority of it is still intact. The views from the summit were sensational as it is surrounded by water and there was so much to see in every direction. On our descent we stopped at the "I'm Here Cafe" and enjoyed some amazing homemade ice cream with flavours such as prickly pear, mulberry and melon. The proprietor Mustafa is a clown and he entertained us with stories of his friends around the world and with his cat, Garfield.
After a day with too much to eat and drink, dinner back in Kas was minimal. It will be a shame to leave here tomorrow, its a lovely little town in a spectacular setting.
Day 29 Along the coast to Fethiye
A short days drive today, a bit more westwards past some truly wonderful scenery, the Med on one side and mountains on the other. There wasn't much traffic on the road so we arrived near our destination by late morning.
First up we visited a ghost town, Kakakoy, deserted since the Greek population left during the great population exchange in the 1920's. The Greeks worked the fields below and lived for centuries in stone houses in the hills above. Thousands lived here and because of the stony nature of the land most of the cottages and churches are still standing and easily visited with little vegetation.
On the way down to our hotel we stopped have a look at a hillside with rock tombs carved into the side about 3,000 years ago during the Lycian times. Almost like Petra in Jordan or Ajanta in India on smaller scale, it was a practice that did not continue anywhere else in Turkey.
Fethiye (pronounced Feteeya) is a city that was flattened by a 7.1 earthquake in 1957 therefore nothing of historical significance is left. It is home to thousands of Poms who arrived for the cheap real estate and the weather. A bit like the Costa del Sol in Spain we saw egg & chips advertised in the cafes and some very similar supermarket names - Azda & Saintsburys??
Another relaxing afternoon, a blessing because it was a roasting 36degC. We've certainly had some varying wifi during this trip, here it is brilliant, yesterday only in the lobby and restaurant was it passable. It can be frustrating as Sally is trying to organise next semesters tutorials for her students and we use WhatsApp exclusively for family communication when overseas.
In the evening we decided to do our own thing and wandered down to the seafront, about 20 minutes walk. It was full of cafes, restaurants and shops with all sorts of food available and people everywhere. We managed to catch the red sun setting on the grey beach.
Turkey attracts visitors from all over the Arab world; we have seen and heard tourists from Russia, Western Europe, Morocco, Lebanon, China of course, Korea, Japan and USA. It is cheap and there is plenty to see and do plus the weather is fine and hot.
Day 30 "Cotton Castle"
Another day of driving and sightseeing, there are times like today when it would be nice to have a break of 3 or 4 days to just stop and not travel or visit attractions. We drove north through the mountains for a bit over 3 hours passing a lot of farmland and quite a number of mining operations including a few marble quarries. We lunched in the city of Denizli with lots of fresh Turkish flat bread, dips and a spicy lamb soup before a quick drive to our hotel in Pamukkale (literally Cotton Castle).
In the late afternoon it was off up the hill above town to marvel at the famous spectacular bright white terraces and visit the ancient Roman city of Hierapolis. The Romans recognised the benefits of natural hot springs and built their largest city in the region beside these waters that fix circulation and digestive problems. With high calcium bicarbonate content the bright white deposits form terraces and cascade over the rocks giving a very unusual effect. Growing up in NZ Tony remembers historical photos of the Pink & White Terraces destroyed by a volcanic eruption and these have similar characteristics.
There were literally thousands of people visiting the springs and a hot pool reputedly gifted by Marc to Cleopatra, at this time of the day. They were walking along the travertines, an upper terrace about 250 metres long, some slipping over on the reddish algal covering. In recognition of the importance of this site the Turkish government in the 1960's demolished numerous hotels built nearby which were sucking the springs dry. Unfortunately there's still now a need to replenish the water from other sources.
In order to have a good look at Hieropolis we caught a bus a couple of kilometres from the hot springs to view a few of the outstanding remaining tombs, gates and roads. The city evidently contained a population of over 200,000 at it's most popular and it certainly spread out a fair distance. There are thousands of marble and rock artefacts strewn over the hillsides and a few major structures are either still standing or have been rebuilt including a massive theatre with near vertical steeply angled semi-circular seats. The necropolis and the north gate seem to have survived the earthquake that destroyed most of the city in the 2ndC AD and many of the drains and the cistern look in remarkable condition. We wandered around in the windy hot conditions quite amazed that much of the area we were traversing had been covered in vegetation only 60 years ago before major archaeological work began and Unesco began to get interested.
Day 31 Aegean Coast
The road system in Turkey is very good, roads and highways are well maintained and the signage is first class. Many major highways are toll roads, without tollgates however, as all vehicles are fitted. with a small disc that is read periodically by a sensor. The drivers do like to take the odd risk or two, especially when passing near corners and rating them on a scale of 1 to 10 (good to bad), they are about 6 or 7. On a rating system Sri Lankan bus drivers are the tops at 10, Indians are 8, Italians are 6, British are 3, Germans are 2 and Aussies about 4.
Today's drive took us west through a valley for just over 3 hours, alongside a large aluminium pipe for a hundred kilometres, that was carrying hot water from geo-thermal springs to power a number of large power stations. Turkey sits on the "ring of fire", has had plenty of recent volcanic activity and is one of the worlds five biggest geo-thermal power producers (quiz question, name the other 4).
Arriving in Selcuk around lunchtime we visited the Temple of Artemis, a lone marble column is all that really remains. We had a lovely meal in a little restaurant in the centre of the city where cooked dishes were piled up in a semi-circle and we could choose what we wanted; our choice included zucchini fritters, meatballs with potato and carrot, broccoli, sautéed mushrooms, aubergine moussaka, brown rice.
Our little pension called interestingly "Amazon Palace" had the rooms enclosed around a courtyard with a meal area upstairs and a swimming pool. We waited out the heat, another 35+ day, although it was hotter in the UK and France!
The walk up to St Johns Basilica was thankfully short. Built by Justinian (Byzantine Emperor who built Hagia Sofia in Istanbul) in the 6thC AD, it stands over the believed burial site of St John the Evangelist. Unfortunately most of the structure has either fallen down in earthquakes or been pillaged, however it commands a lovely position on a hill overlooking the town and the valley to the sea. Tony wandered up and had a look inside the walls of the Ottoman castle above where again little remains.
We wandered around town, into a few tourist shops until we lost interest. We were planning on a quiet evening however our guide being misinformed by his company, assumed it was Tony's birthday and invited us out to dinner where a special birthday cake was enjoyed by all the tour group.
Day 32 Ephesus
Ata thankfully organised an early start, to beat the heat and the crowds, to visit the ancient Roman city of Ephesus, a 5 minute drive from Selcuk. Originally settled in 10,000BC by the Hittites, then attacked and taken by the Lycians in 6thC BC and for the next couple of thousand years fought over by Persians and then Greeks. It became the most important Greek city in Asia Minor until the Romans arrived in 189BC. Under Roman rule, Ephesus was a centre of commercial activity and the most impressive example of a city in these lands. Originally settled because it was a major port, because of silting of the river the coast is now 5 kilometres distant and the port fell out of use. In early Christian times Ephesus saw the arrival and protests against St Paul, as described in the New Testament and was the city St John died in. A major earthquake in the 7thC destroyed most of the city.
We had the entire morning to see the ancient city, which winds down a valley towards the old port. Starting where esteemed visitors arrived at the Agora, we walked to the theatre or Odeon, a 1400 seat area used for concerts and parliament. 2000 year old pipes that delivered fresh water to the city can seen everywhere. There are temples, gates, alters and monuments all along the marble road where shops, brothels, baths and fountains would have also lined the street. A large library in a very prominent position has mostly been rebuilt and the 24,000 seat stadium is at present being the worked on. The public toilets are obvious in their design and intent, evidently well-to-do citizens got their slaves to warm the seats for them in the cold winters.
A lot of work has been done to resurrect Ephesus by the Turkish and Austrian governments and archaeological teams can be seen on duty. The best example of their work is an area of terrace houses, now sheltered beneath a roof and part of a special museum where mosaics and frescoes have been unearthed and cleaned.
By the time we departed for lunch the place was heaving with visitors and tour buses lined the carpark outside. Lunch was nearby at a pide restaurant, lovely wood-fired Turkish pizzas and we had fresh lemonada to accompany them.
A relaxing afternoon in the aircon meant we were all ready to drive about 30 minutes into the hills to Sirince, a little village of winemakers. We tasted white and red varieties, all of which were of a very good standard and also a few fruit wines: cherry, pomegranate and melon. Plenty of market stalls selling hand painted plates, jewellery and clothes were browsed through before we had dinner, overlooking the valley, in a family-run restaurant where Turkish ravioli is the specialty.
Day 33 Long drive to Canakkale
Over 5 hours on the bus, mostly on motorways, up the Aegean coast to the pretty university city of Canakkale. The scenery was interesting as we traversed a mountain range, crossed the third biggest city Izmir and passed through farmland and coastal scenery. On the way we stopped at Troja, or Troy, the ancient city made famous by Homer in his Iliad. This settlement had eleven iterations, either conquered or destroyed by earthquakes, the foundations of the last one were used to build the next. Originally pre-bronze age, it was still being used by the early Ottomans.
There is a Trojan horse, of course, of course. At the entrance to the ancient site, a wooden one has been erected to satisfy the tourists.
Then when we walked along the waterfront in Canakkale, the Trojan Horse from the 2004 film Troy, stands proudly looking over the Bosphorus towards the Gallipoli peninsula. As this was the final evening our travelling group, Mustafa our diver and Ata our guide would all be together, we took the opportunity to have a final meal together. We all gathered in a restaurant next to the ferry terminal, including Bob the septegenarian Geordie on his 23rd Intrepid trip who only normally eats one meal per day. It was a nice occasion, a speech was made and tips presented and a few drinks consumed.
Day 34 Gallipoli on the last day
A very early start to catch the 7am ferry over to European Turkey for our morning touring the WW1 battle sites and war memorials. By coming early we missed any other visitors and were able to enjoy Anzac Cove in serenity and peace. Our first impressions were of fields of sunflowers, hillsides covered in pines and shrubs and rocky beaches and lapping waters.
It is so difficult to envisage the thousands of men fighting all over the hills, thirsty, injured, dying and then leaving after 8 months. There is little left now except a few trenches, a road delineates where no-mans land was with Turkish, Australian, New Zealand and British war memorials and story boards of the major battles. We visited Lone Pine cemetery, the Turkish war memorial and Chunuk Bair, scene of the last major allied offensive. The beach, where the soldiers were brought in rowing boats, where first aid posts and campaign headquarters were set up and from where the only real success of the campaign, the withdrawal took place is now so serene.
It was a privilege to be able to visit this sacred site on a lovely, warm summers morning with the birds singing and little disturbance. Now it was time to return to the metropolis of Istanbul, along the coast of the Sea of Mamara. Until we were 100kms from the city, progress was rapid however it did slow to a crawl on the 2 lane highway, with roadworks, traffic police stops and frustrated drivers.
With our official trip finished it was time to bid farewell to our fellow Intrepid travellers who were all off in different directions: to Egypt, Croatia and in our case home to Perth tomorrow evening. We'll spend the morning doing some last minute shopping and working out how we'll get all our purchases including the carpet bought in Kyrgyzstan into our suitcases.
We've had a ball over the past five weeks, it has been a great mid-winter break for both of us. We both heartily recommend all three countries we've visited, they all have fantastic scenery, amazing history and are friendly and welcoming. We feel we will return home enriched and energised and are looking forward to putting out more travel blogs in future. The
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