"I Dream of Turkey."
The tourism slogan is a promising one, and I found myself awaiting with eager anticipation the arrival of my trip to the land of the Turks.
Turkey inevitably conjures up all things exotic, intriguing, and mysterious - no doubt helped by the fact that the country has one foot set in Europe and the other in Asia.
So, it was with excitement and dreamy eyes that my friends and I embarked on an organised 10-day tour to Turkey for our vacation.
Straddling two continents, Turkey's Asia side is referred to as "Anatolia" or "Asia Minor", and the Europe side is known as "Thrace".
Three bodies of water separate "Asia" from "Europe": the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles. These waters had played a major role in the history of Turkey as they allowed the country to regulate the movement of ships between the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.
The influence of the Romans and the Greeks can be felt in this country, the traces of these cultures manifested in the ruins we would see later.
Home to the Ottoman Empire before modern Turkey was founded as a Republic by Kemal "Ataturk" (Father of the Turks) in the 1920s, Turkey is a spiritual place steeped in religious culture and ancient history that dated as far back as 5,000 years and beyond. Turkey now has a 99% Muslim population. In the populated areas, we can probably spot a mosque probably within every one kilometre, sometimes in the middle of nowhere!
Seeing the turkish people on the street, I had a hard time deciding whether they look more European or more Middle Eastern. And it surprised me later to find out that the Turks were actually descendents of people from Mongolia! Ha, bet you didn't know that.
*** ISTANBUL ***Previously known as Constantinople (before modern Turkey was founded), Istanbul is the biggest city in the country.
St Sophia Museum - One of the great architectural marvels of the ancient world. It was built in the 4th century as a church (St Sophia), then converted to a mosque (Hagia Sophia), and now a museum.
Blue Mosque - It was built some 1,000 years after St Sophia, which sits directly across. The exterior is not actually blue. The name came from the blue tiles found within the interiors of the building. It is unique also because, unlike normal mosques, it has 6 minarets (the tall towers) instead of 4. (Er.. wonder how come only 4 seen in picture above?!) This mosque, built in the name of Sultan Ahmet, is one of the largest religious complexes in Istanbul.
Topkapi Palace - Previous residence of Ottoman Sultans. The grand palace now exhibits imperial treasures, royal antiques, sacred Islamic relics, kitchen, Chinese porcelain, etc.
Grand Bazaar - World famous and probably biggest indoor "pasa malam" with 4,000 shops selling arts and crafts, jewellery, carpets and other souvenirs. A Grand Tourist Trap, if you ask me.
*** ANKARA ***Ankara - not Istanbul - is the capital of the country.
Ataturk Mausoleum - A huge museum and tomb built in memory of the founder of modern Turkey. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, revered by the people to be the Father of the Nation, was also the first president. His recognizable picture (together with the national flag) can often be seen in many places around Turkey. The Ataturk Airport at Istanbul (Asia side) is named after him. There is apparently another international airport built on the Europe side of Istanbul!
*** CAPPADOCIA ***One of the World Heritage Sites, as listed by UNESCO.
Literally translated as "the land of beautiful horses", Cappodocia is known for its Fairy Chimneys (see above), underground cities, and wine. No horses in sight, but we did spot a camel!
The unique Cappadocian cone-shaped chimney landscape is a result of volcanic eruptions and years of natural erosion. The rocks are firm and yet strangely soft enough for men to carve and create dwellings, monasteries, churches and underground cities many years ago.
They are indeed awesome and fascinating sights to behold! I can't help but wonder if this is where Gaudi got his inspirations for his famous Spanish architectural designs.
At Cappadocia, the only 2-night city stop in the iternarary, we stayed at a little town called Urgup. As our hotel Perissia is perched on high ground, it has a huge mezzanine outdoor "balcony" area that commands a breathtaking view of the town.
Underground City of Kaymakli - In the 7th century, as many as 10,000 Christians once hid in these underground tunnels to avoid being persecuted by the Romans. These narrow dwellings extend at least 8 floors downwards into the earth. Claustrophobic tourists were cautioned to enter at their own risks.
Even the brave ones were brought only 2 or 3 floors underground to witness the maze of tunnels and rooms that these Christians have carved out and used for an extended period of up to 1 month without surfacing. The local guide said that some people died underneath, not because of lack of air or food, but because of a medical condition brought on by the effect of excessive inhaling of human waste (?!)
Hot Air Balloon - We were promised a "once-in-a-lifetime" experience in the pre-dawn hours of Cappadocia, but all we got was a disappointing one-hour ride on a basket that is obviously too small to carry 23 adults! It didn't fly as high as was promised, and set us back by US$200 per person nonetheless. What was more infuriating was the subsequent discovery that walk-in customers (i.e. not with tour group) pay only US$80! Talk about having a "hot air" experience! Humph!
Goreme Open Air Museum - The region of Goreme is known for its fine rock formations. Here in the valley, you'll see clusters of churches carved out of the chimneys, all located within a nice little park. Among them, we visited Apple Church and the St Babara's Church. Within the interior walls of these early churches and chapels, you'll see "fresco" religious paintings done in fine details, visible even after the passing of time.
Uchisar "Castle" Village - A little "castle" town that has a Piegeon Valley, so named for its nesting holes carved for our little birdie friends.
*** KONYA ***The city of the Whirling Dervishes.
Melvana Museum - The Mevlevi order is founded here in this city. This is a museum dedicated to the "Whirling Dervishes". Based on Islam and the ideology of tolerance and love, the Mevlevi performed a whirling dance ritual as an act of remembrance of God. During the dance, one hand points skywards (for the God), and the other hand towards the ground (for the people). Started during the ottoman empire, the Mevlevi Dervishes have become a popular tourist attraction today. These Whirling Dervishes are now often used as one of the "icons" featured in commercials and brochures to promote tourism to Turkey.
From Konya, as we headed towards our next stop Pamukkale, we were told that we were travelling on what used to be part of the Silk Road, the ancient trade route used by merchants who made their arduous and demanding journeys on camels across the 8,000km route to trade silk, spices, and other goods.
*** PAMUKKALE ***
"Pamukkale" means "Cotton Castle" in Turkish. Like Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Hierapolis are listed by UNESCO as one of the World Heritage Sites.
Cotton Castle - Unique formation of petrified calcium cliffs and stalactites. Hot springs found in this region created a natural phenomenon that leave thick white layers of limestone, which cascade down the mountain slope to resemble a frozen waterfall.
*** KUSADASI ***
Ephesus - One of the "Seven Churches of Revelation" of Christianity. Ephesus is another ancient Roman city, originally founded by the Greeks who arrived in the 10th century BC. You get to see the many magnificent ruins, including the famous 25,000 capacity Great Theatre (above), and the Library of Celsius (below), whose picture has been used extensively in books and tourism brochures.
In this city once lived 200,000 people. The ruins here at Ephesus are the best preserved of any Roman site in the Mediterranean. The local guide pointed out that, interestingly, the brothel sits just right across the street from the Library of Celsius. Of course these 2 activities have something in common - both are usually undertaken with great passion! Ha. Anyway, Ephesus is listed by BBC Books as one of the "places to see before you die". Ephesus is incidentally the only place in Turkey listed in the book.
House of the Virgin Mary - We also visited the place (above) where Virgin Mary was believed to have spent her last years. It has become a popular place of pilgrimage today.
*** PERGAMON ***
The Acropolis - Pergamon is also one of the "Seven Churches of Revelation". Our coach travelled up along a narrow road lined up with Olive trees, to reach the Acropolis, located 350m above sea level. Here, you'll see the ancient city ruins, including the 10,000 capacity Theatre, one of the steepest theatres in the world.
*** CANNAKKALE ***You have heard the tale, read the story, or watched the movie. Here, we got to see the city of Troy for ourselves!
City of Troy and Trojan Horse - Troy, now an archeological site, was an ancient city made famous in Homer's epic poem, the Illiad. Many historical figures like Alexandra the Great, Hector, and Achilles once stood in this city.
We visited the ruins of nine cities that were supposedly built on top of one another, after the earlier one was destroyed. Troy sits in a strategic location near the border of the country, and thus was the cause of envy with the neighbouring Greeks. The guide informed us that much of the Trojan treasures had been taken away to Germany, and that Daimler-Mercedes Benz is currently sponsoring a restoration project for the city of Troy.
We finally saw the fabled Trojan Horse, and wondered aloud how this wooden horse could have managed to fool the Trojans!
Just like the mythical love story of Helen and Paris (the Queen of Sparta and the Trojan Prince), the story of how the Greeks cleverly defeated the Trojans using the horse remained a myth. Till this day, many have wondered if the Trojan War took place, and if there really was a wooden horse or not!
As a little surprise for us, the local guide subsequently brought us to a seaside town where another Trojan Horse stands! We were told that this is the horse built by Hollywood for use in the movie "Troy" starring Brad Pitt. This horse has been brought here and presented to the Turkish people as a gift after the completion of the filming.
Troy is also listed as one of the World Heritage Sites.
Incidentally, Turkey's independence day falls on 29 Oct. During the trip, we can see the national flags (of all sizes) being proudly displayed at almost every home, restaurants, offices, and public areas and buildings. We were told the Turks are allowed to display the national flags all year round. At one point, I almost found it tough not to snap any photo without including the flag!
Just like the one you find on your Xmas platter, Turkey has proven to be rather tough and can be difficult to chew and swallow at times. My 4 main brickbats:
1.
Food - in one word - sucks!
The Turkish diet is generally monotonous. Every meal begins with Lentil soup, and the main dishes did not vary very much from the unappetizing piece of meat. We have been warned about the food, still it got pretty unbearable at one point. Even our own stash of MacDonald's chilli sauce didn't help much. And for a "sweet tooth" like me, none of the Turkish desserts could excite my taste buds one bit.
2.
Toilets - stink!
This sign probably sums it up! The public toilets are generally atrocious, and you have to pay Turkish 50 cents (=Singapore 60 cents) before you are allowed to hold your breath and step into one of these dirty and stinking holes. We estimated that we must have flushed down at least S$10 worth of toilet trips per person during the trip!
3.
Tourists - everywhere!
Always the bugbear for me during vacations. Bus loads of tourists like us were swarming every darn tourist places we visited. The hordes of tourists just ruined the whole joy in the tour, man. The most unpleasant experience in fact happened at one of our very own hotel premises.
At the appointed time, we proceeded to the breakfast venue. To our horror, the whole place was packed with hotel guests. We jostled our way through, hoping to find an empty table but to no avail. So we had to stand and wait eagle-eyed for tables to be vacated, as if we were at a busy food court. Good thing we are all well trained in this aspect back home. All we needed was a pack of tissue paper. Ha.
4.
Coaching - taxing!
As the tourist spots were incredibly far apart, long hours of coaching were required. We spent spent an average of 6 to 8 hours on the coach daily. On an average day of 12 waking hours out there (say, 7am - 7pm), half of that was spent with Mr Driver. Our longest coach ride was a tedious 10 hours on one single day. In all, we covered a total distance of 5,000 km within a record 8 days on the road.
The local guide remarked in jest that if we can all endure these long rides in this trip, we would be able to endure ANY rides ANYWHERE, and that we should all be awarded a certificate for it! Bah!
Probably because of its rich history and what I call its "continent identity crisis", it is interestingly to note how Turkey sits at the cross roads, bridging the new and old, East and West - literally. Our tour group landed on Asia, crossed over to Europe, and back to Asia all within one trip.
In fact, while we were going about Istanbul free & easy on the last day of the trip, we saw many public roads closed to motor traffic. As luck would have it, the annual Intercontinental Istanbul Eurasia Marathon was about to take place. Imagine being able to run from one contient to another! I stationed myself strategically at one spot, and my patience was soon rewarded when the first batch of runners came into view round the corner.
So much to complain, what's there to enjoy at Turkey? After all, the food sucks, the coaching is tedious, the toilets stink and cost a bomb to use, and you got to jostle for space with the goddamned tourists!
Well, eventually, amidst the cool weather, we were rewarded with the wonders of nature (and man), we set foot on important historical grounds, we soaked in the rich histrory and sights of ruins of ancient cities, and we sipped apple tea with Turkish delights! In addition, we also kept ourselves warm with hot chocolate and nibbled tasty apple pies with Vanilla ice cream with new friends at Istanbul's Gloria Jeans, alfresco.
And no, I did not take up the Hamam challenge eventually. Spending a total of 24 hours flying to and from the country has failed to convince me that I should at least submit my body to the pleasures of the world famous Turkish Bath.
If the experience is optional, I'll pass on that, lest it turns out to be another turkey with more steaming hot air!!
Well, talking about Turkey, it's Thanksgiving day tomorow (4th Thursday of Nov). Here, I would like to give thanks to the bosses and colleagues at the Super Search Company for the friendships and support they've given me over the past 3 months. Best of luck, and looking forward to the launch next year!
