#I took SO MANY PHOTOS OF CAPPADOCIA!!!!

[spaceoperetta]

ok I know that was a /lot/ of Istanbul (and istanbul was a lot) but...cappadocia is next....I loved cappadocia it was like colorado but different I was screaming in my heart

[kyndaris]

Hot Airing over Antiquity

Despite our chances of soaring over the Cappadocia region in hot-air balloons being dashed by the poor weather, we still had one last opportunity in Pamukkale. It might not have caverns and deep gullies, but it was still impressive to hover over the ‘Cotton Castle’ in all its limestone glory. And also take in the ancient city of Hierapolis via air.

Nothing screams adventure more than looking upon an ancient amphitheatre from above. Or, you know, running the risk of dropping your phone and losing all evidence of your overseas trip. But, I hear you, dear reader, say, it’s all about the experience, right?

Wrong! Here in the internet age, if there are no pictures, it’s doubtful it even happened. And even WITH photographic proof, editing software makes it easy to question EVERYTHING. Coupled with the fact that I hate taking pictures of myself? Why, it could be easily claimed that I stole all my photos from Google.

I didn’t, of course (what kind of travel blogger would do that), but it’s something easy that detractors can claim. Not that I have any detractors. My little corner on the internet is rarely frequented and when it is, it’s mostly by people I already know in real life. Which is exactly how I like it!

Regardless, the trip up in the air was quite smooth. We were up in the air and I didn’t even feel a thing. Best of all, we didn’t crash land. Nor did we become a ball of flame that hurtled to the ground in a fiery explosion. I might not have liked being bombarded by fossil fuel natural gas every time the pilot fired up...well, the fire...but I am thankful for getting an opportunity to take to the skies and look down at all the unworthy ants crawling down beneath me.

Delusions of grandeur, thy name is Kyndaris!

Once we landed, we packed hurriedly into the minivan and headed straight back to our hotel. And it was here that I bid a silent farewell to my Malaysian ballooning companions. I might not have gotten any of their names but I did overhear most of their conversations as they called family and friends while riding up in the balloon. And while I was very tempted to make my known in at least half of their calls, I resisted the urge.

So kind of me! So magnanimous!

All right. I think that’s enough self-aggrandising from me. Back to detailing my actual exploits while on holiday.

After returning to hotel, I went back to the room that I shared with Popo and readied to luggage to bring down to the coach. Then it as off to actually explore Hierapolis by foot. Or, more technically, as a chauffeur for Popo and her friend as I drove around on a modified moped.

The name, Hierapolis, is Greek in nature and according to the information board that I took at the site, means ‘Sacred City.’ It was presumably founded by one of the successors of Alexander the Great. In 188BC, it was passed into the hands of the Kings of Pergamon before becoming one of the wealthiest cities during Roman times. At the sight, there was plenty to see including a ruined temple of Apollo and a statue dedicated to Pluto, or Hades. I only recognised him because of the three-headed guardian to the Underworld, Cerberus, that stood at his side.

The city also featured many iconic Roman buildings including baths, gymnasium and theatre. I certainly knew that my 17-18 year old self would have been leaping for joy if I’d visited then, giving my interest in Ancient History and, in particular, the Flavian period of the Emperors.

Young children might be able to tell me in excruciating detail about their favourite dinosaurs. I will respond with my own rant upon my supposed subject of expertise - the Julio-Claudian emperors and the Flavian dynasty, which followed after Nero and the Year of Four Emperors.

History aside, it ought to be known that despite being the Sacred City of antiquity, Hierapolis was abandoned following an earthquake in about 616 AD that left only a few crumbling buildings in its aftermath. Despite this, there are signs of Seljuk presence in the ruins. Which would indicate that people had still frequented the site up until 400 years after the devastating quake.

But because of that, the city was almost pastoral in appearance with swaths of green covering the ruins. What made Hierapolis so special for us, though, was the ‘Cotton Castle’ that the city was built atop on. Layered all in white, the city was favoured with warm thermal waters that bubbled to the surface and which were rich in minerals. Over the years, it had covered the cliff tops in a layer of white limestone. And even in this modern age, those thermal waters continue to gurgle, which Popo got to enjoy by dipping her toes in.

There was also a swimming pool with sunken columns at the city that visitors could pay to enter.

Talk about taking advantage of what mother nature has given you! I however, simply enjoyed admiring the scenes of Europeans floating in the warm waters before inspecting the adjacent museum where displays of old pottery and statues could be seen. There were even carved reliefs depicting the coronation of Septimius Severus, a Roman Emperor, by the Goddess Nike and one that saw Dionysus, the Greek God of Wine and Debaurchery, partying hard with nymphs, centaurs, satyrs, the cherubic Eros and Pan.

After drinking in our fill of the city, we had a quick lunch in what felt like a communal cafeteria that stunk of oil before heading back on the road. This time we were headed westward to the Aegean Sea! Kusadasi, here we come!

[balapann-blog]

Day 28 - 3 October - Avanos (Cappadocia)

Woke up at 5! To get our taxi to the place where the hot air balloons take off from. We thought about getting a flight but they were like £400 each because there had not been flights for the few days before. But seeing them take off as the sun rose was pretty magical in the landscape. Cappadocia has these crazy rock formations due to the fact the rock is sedimentary rock formed by volcanic ash, topped with later basalt on top from subsequent eruptions. The whole landscape has these pillars and valleys that are very striking. He other really amazing thing is all the cave houses that have been built by peoples in the area all the time from the Hittites and later by early Christians and Greek communities.

Our fomo was lessened when the balloons seemed to land almost as soon as they took off, some before we even left the take off area. There were so many people taking ridiculous photos, such as in the back of classic convertibles, in their wedding dresses or my personal favourite; a guy who drove up late when most of the balloons were gone and then got his girlfriend to take a video of him doing MMA and boxing moves with the balloons in the background. I wasn’t sure what this meant for modern masculinity but it seemed significant.

We then went to Goreme Open Air Museum which was walking distance from Goreme town (itself walking distance from where the balloons took off). It was very expensive and I saw in reviews very crowded it’s tours. We were there so early though and managed to walk around in a not so packed atmosphere. The museum is of an old monastery complex with some amazing stone churches carved into the rock. They had really interesting frescos in the churches, all of them quite damaged. Some of them had been restored and were really nice. The museum is a unesco world heritage site but had been restored in some places in quite a haphazard way. One church was best preserves because it had less natural light and was restored but you had to pay another 6 euro to go in there (worth it considering it was by far the best thing and the entrance was 20 euro).

After this we walked down to Goreme and had a really average and expensive meal (I think this is what Goreme is) and then went to the post office to post our massive backlog of post cards. We then walked down and walked the ‘Love Valley’ trail which had some ‘interesting looking’ rock formations and a path that followed the river that runs through the valley in the winter. It was hot and we met lots of different people either going the opposite way or as we past them. I had my trusty light scarf that I got in India that managed to keep me mostly shaded, with factor 50 doing the rest.

We then got to Uchisar which has Uchisar Castle the highest point in Cappadocia which is an amazing pointed rock with a castle dug into it in true Cappadocia fashion. On the way we got a coke which then gave me a massive sugar low. I then got a delicious gozleme that was in the lower bit of the castle which sorted me out. It was so good we both got one on the way down (mine had the very strong blue cheese in it).

We then took a local bus back to our town and went to the same wine bar (like locals). There is a massive colony of starlings that live in the trees by the river which come back to roost in an endless murmuration. It seemed that there are french locals who live in Avanos and drink there each night, they even have a dog. The wine is delicious the first night we had white and the second red. We then got a chicken shish on the way home and went to bed as we were very tired.

Where we ate - Chef Kebap, Akdeniz Kebap Salonu

What we liked - The second place Akdeiz was grand - chicken shish

Day 29 - 4 October - Avanos (Cappadocia)

We had booked a ‘Green Tour’ for the day. It seems that there are 3 tours of Cappadocia, red, green and blue. We had basically done a red tour the day before ourselves but a green was more difficult to do because it required more driving. We had a delicious breakfast in the garden of our hotel, the highlight was cigarillo burek. We took some walnut pastries from breakfast to eat during the day, and then got picked up about 9.15. The tour was with other people and we went around in a mini bus collecting other people, such as a French couple, a few Aussies, a few Chinese people and a few Americans.

The tour consisted initially in taking us to a few panoramas and giving us time to take pictures, and then in classic tourist trap tour fashion, taking us to a gemstone and jewlery shop, giving us a quick chat about the stuff they have for sale and then offering us 20% off rrp. We then went to this random volcanic lake and then for lunch in the village in the Ihlara Valley. This village was right on the river that ran through it and had lots of ruined stone houses, like lots of Cappadocia, which I think were houses of Cappadocian Greeks who were forcibly moved or killed using the violence in and following the First World War and the Greek/Turkish war.

I started reading this journal article about it as the ruins of these houses seem to be everywhere and it is never really spoken about. All the references to Christians and Greek Christians in tours and in the museums is always Byzantine and they speak about how old all the settlements are without speaking about how many were in use all the way up to the 1920s. We then went to this amazing underground city which was about 5 or 6 stories down and carved into the rock. This city was not completely abandoned until 1923, and was used as a hiding place when the community was being attacked. Most houses in the town had a connection to the complex from a tunnel from their basement.

We then went back to the town via another tourist trap shop that did food and cosmetics. They did give us lots of tasters and we bought some menthol and rose oil. On the way back we passed another ruined town called Gore which had loads of stone building ruined on the side of a hill. The bus then dropped us back at the hotel. We then went to the wine bar again and then or dinner.

Where we ate - Random tourist trap restaurant, Gonul Sofrasi

What we liked - Gonul was okay, haven’t been that impressed with Cappadocia food tbh

Day 30 - 5 October - Avanos (Cappadocia) > Kayseri > Dogu Express

Woke up and went for a run to the bus station along the river to check bus times to Kayseri. We are going there to pick up the Dogu Express from there but it doesn’t go till 1am (if it is on time) so we have got a hotel for the evening very close to the station. Because we booked late, we are not in the same couchette, as unless you book out a whole one, we can only go in single sex rooms (we had this on the night bus last year to Istanbul where you could not book a seat beside someone of the opposite sex unless you book together).

We had breakfast in the garden again. It was delicious again which had this lovely pastry with tahini in it called yorosel? We also had apricots preserved in honey which was amazing. The garden is very nice and has beautiful trees in it. We checked out of the hotel but left our bags there, they have a wedding in the garden this afternoon which they invited us to but i think we are going to leave them to it.

We then walked to a cafe on the river and sat at a cafe doing some planning and relaxing. If I was coming to Cappadocia again I would definitely stay in Avanos again, it feels more like a normal town and has nice paths by the river lined with willow trees. It also doesn’t feel as tourist trappy as the other towns we went to. They are currently rebuilding the main bridge in the town which seemed to have broken and the main way across is across this wobbly suspension foot bridge.

We walked round the town trying to stay in the shade as it was roasting, we by chance stumbled upon this really nice restaurant called Gloria Tas Ev, which was hands own the best food we had in Cappadocia. It did the same things as the other places for the same price but was one so much better. It was also in a cave house so was much cooler. We then went off to the hotel to collect our bags, the wedding was in full swing and there was a band playing. The owners who were very sweet insisted that we dance so we did! Their dance moves aligned quite well with mine, just lots of clapping and putting your hands in the air.

We then walked to our bus with all our stuff over the wobbly bridge which was actually very difficult and caught the bus which absolutely bombed to Kayseri. We then took a taxi to the hotel we have for the evening and went for a walk into town. Kayseri is a very buzzy town with lots going on! We had a drink in a cafe inside the old citadel walls, and then went for some delicious rotisserie chicken and rice. We got some final supplies for the Dogu, including going to this amazing bakery and baklava place on one of the main streets. We got lots of nice bread and I got some baklava and it came to about £4 total which in London would have been 4x the price! We are now chilling in the hotel waiting to get the Dogu.

[talesfromtheorient]

Standing in the darkness somewhere outside Göreme, I watched the mighty fire burst into the balloon as it gradually began to inflate. I was nervous, I’m not scared of heights, but this was different, I’d never flown in a hot air balloon before.

We were told to climb inside the basket and then given a safety briefing, most of which referred to the landing. There were 5 of us per compartment, and there were 4 compartments in total. This was the less cramped option which gave me space to shimmy about.

I didn’t have time to collect my thoughts, we were up. We ascended so smoothly to a height of 660 feet that I momentarily forgot that I was in a hot air balloon. We were one of the first balloons up, but slowly but surely hundreds of balloons ascended over the dry landscape. We descended into a valley to admire the rock formations before the burner fired us up to dizzying heights again. Then somewhere over the horizon the sun rose over a distant mountain peak and lit up the valley. All the passengers were blown away by the natural beauty and took many photos. I thought that the ride couldn’t get any better, and then we descended over sunset spot and the town of Göreme. On the rooftops were dozens of early risers greeting us, we even managed a hand slap. The balloon floated around Göreme before properly descending outside the town. The safety ropes were thrown out and grabbed by an invisible army of men who pulled us onto the back of a nearby truck. It was a perfect landing. I guess that the brace position is only for emergencies. We all struggled to get out of the balloon and enjoyed a champagne reception, before being driven back to out hotels.

The ride has to be one of the best experiences of my life. When we were in the air, I felt so calm, not what I expected. An highlight of the tour was our unofficial tour guide, a 10 year old lad from Southeast London who gave a running commentary throughout the ride. When the call to prayer started, he referred to it as Chewbacca talking. Apparently the rainbow balloons are for homosexuals. When two balloon intentionally touched each other in a movement known as ‘the kiss’, he referred to it as ‘the fuck’. At 660 feet it was entertaining watching his parents try to tell him off, he was funny, but I wouldn’t want to teach him.

I arrived back at my hotel in time for breakfast. Whilst enjoying my Turkish breakfast, a cat pounced on my lap and tried to steal my foot. Out of nowhere the owner came along clapping his hands and told the cat to scram. Thanks.

Energised from the exciting morning, I went for a walk around Göreme. I soon remembered that this is a really unpleasant thing to do because there are so many cars driving in every direction. Therefore, I spent most of the day relaxing in my cave.

I have tried to book myself onto a sunset camel tour, but this has proven difficult. There are only a few camels in Cappadocia (apparently only 10) so camel tours do need to be booked up well in advance. I have spent a lot of time questioning the ethics of the ride, but it does seem that the camels are treated properly. I might be able to get on a camel tour tomorrow after my Green Valley tour, but I might not be back in time to catch it. The Green Valley tour will take me to the underground city and many others attractions. I would like to do the sunset camel ride, but you can’t do it all and after tomorrow, I will have done everything that I aimed to do in Cappadocia.

[sylvinuk-turkey]

Today was another long day but a good one!

We spent the night at our family friend Mehmet’s house, which we could tell the inside was lovely, but could only imagine what outside looked like in the dark when we arrived last night. In the morning, looking out the window and off the terrace of our 2nd floor room it was a beautiful property.

PS. Mehmet knows my nonno (Italian grandfather). They met Mehmet’s first year in grad school at university of Philadelphia where my grandfather was his “mean” academic advisor. I say mean because as Mehmet tells the story, he came to nonno after a month or so into the first semester saying “I have too much on my plate, too many hours. Why did you let me take so many?” And my nonno replied something like, “so many of you international students come thinking you’re so smart, you had to learn for yourself.”

Anyway, they had prepared a lovely Turkish breakfast on the lower terrace which I promptly forgot to take photos of. But like normal Turkish breakfast included a mixed fruit plate (pears and orange slices), a mixed veggie plate (cucumbers, tomatoes and long peppers which are a specialty here in Turkey), cheese, simit and bread, scrambled eggs and of course Turkish tea.

After our leisurely breakfast and great conversation, about Mehmet’s companies and how he’s doing some user research of all things, we started our drive towards Efes (aka Ephesus in English). On our way out of town we saw many wineries, turns out Urla and the surrounding area is known for its wineries. Mehmet said more are being built every day, sadly at the expense of the local surrounding forest.

We were meeting up with Allan and Frank at 1:30p. Reminder, we met up with Allan in Istanbul at the start of their trip, and they’ve since also gone to Cappadocia and on a boat trip. This was the trip my parents were going to take with them, but we’re sadly not able to. Gokay’s parents ended up taking my parents spot on the boat and the four of them had a lovely time.

Anyway, Frank and Allen were coming from the boat (Gokay’s parents went back to Selimiye), and we’re meeting us at Efes for a guided tour. Mehmet, Julia (his wife), Gokay and I were arriving a little early and decided to stop at the “Virgin Mary House” which is about a 10 min drive up the hill from the Efes “upper entrance” where we were meeting them and the guide.

The Virgin Mary house was a quick visit. It’s a 2-3 room stone “hovel” that had been turned into a church honoring the Virgin Mary. You go in one door and out the other in a minute or two. Honestly, the walk from the parking lot to the site was longer (and longer on the way back because it was up hill). Then we drove back down the hill and waited ~10 minutes at the touristy cafe across from the upper entrance eating an ice cream bar.

Once they arrived we used the restroom, added more sunscreen and we were off. It was a 2 hour tour from the upper gate to the lower gate. Such a large city of incredible ruins, and we haven’t even uncovered half of it! The guide said they’re actually doing that on purpose as things are much better preserved and secure underground. The ruins spanned from 3000 BC to 300AD (ish). It went from a pagan site, to Greek, to Roman, to Christianity. So there are pegan temples turned churches, the theater is Greco-Roman (Greek because they had to build up a hillside, roman because they didn’t think people would pay attention with a view so they put a building backdrop). One statue, or what was left of one (photo above) showed they knew the world was round, but that information was lost. They had a library, which we took a picture in front of. They also had plumbing and heating including inside these 7 incredible “terrace houses” they’ve uncovered (photo below). It was amazing!

Once we finished we had a little snack at a local shop near the street bazar, since it was Saturday. Then Gokay and I had a van bus to catch, while Allen and Frank made their way to Izmir for their last day in Turkey. So we said quick goodbyes and went our separate ways.

Our van bus went to Aydin, where we had to wait an hour to take a different bus to Marmaris at 7:30p. We stopped in 3 places on the way plus two police stops, so we didn’t get to the Marmaris bus station (otogar in Turkish) until 10:20ish. Then we had to take a taxi to pick up a rental car. Then Gokay drove the manual transmission car 45 minutes through the dark curvy mountain roads to Selimiye. We arrived around 11:45p, after having taken 6 types of transportation today!!! Phew!

His parents were so sweet to stay awake but we all were in bed around 12:15a or so.

[justforbooks]

Sir Patrick Michael Leigh Fermor, DSO, OBE (also known as Paddy Fermor) was born on February 11, 1915. He was a British author, scholar, soldier and polyglot who played a prominent role behind the lines in the Cretan resistance during the Second World War. He was widely regarded as Britain's greatest living travel writer during his lifetime, based on books such as A Time of Gifts (1977). A BBC journalist once described him as "a cross between Indiana Jones, James Bond and Graham Greene".

In 1950 Leigh Fermor published his first book, The Traveller's Tree, about his post-war travels in the Caribbean. The book won the Heinemann Foundation Prize for Literature and established his career. The reviewer in The Times Literary Supplement wrote: "Mr Leigh Fermor never loses sight of the fact, not always grasped by superficial visitors, that most of the problems of the West Indies are the direct legacy of the slave trade." It was quoted extensively in Live and Let Die, by Ian Fleming. He went on to write several further books of his journeys, including Mani and Roumeli, of his travels on mule and foot around remote parts of Greece.

Leigh Fermor translated the manuscript The Cretan Runner written by George Psychoundakis, a dispatch runner on Crete during the war, and helped Psychoundakis get his work published. Leigh Fermor also wrote a novel, The Violins of Saint-Jacques, which was adapted as an opera by Malcolm Williamson. His friend Lawrence Durrell recounts in his book Bitter Lemons (1957) how, during the Cypriot insurgency against continued British rule in 1955, Leigh Fermor visited Durrell's villa in Bellapais, Cyprus:

After a splendid dinner by the fire he starts singing, songs of Crete, Athens, Macedonia. When I go out to refill the ouzo bottle...I find the street completely filled with people listening in utter silence and darkness. Everyone seems struck dumb. 'What is it?' I say, catching sight of Frangos. 'Never have I heard of Englishmen singing Greek songs like this!' Their reverent amazement is touching; it is as if they want to embrace Paddy wherever he goes.

After living with her for many years, Leigh Fermor was married in 1968 to the Honourable Joan Elizabeth Rayner (née Eyres Monsell), daughter of Bolton Eyres-Monsell, 1st Viscount Monsell. She accompanied him on many of his travels until her death in Kardamyli in June 2003, aged 91. They had no children. They lived part of the year in their house in an olive grove near Kardamyli in the Mani Peninsula, southern Peloponnese, and part of the year in Gloucestershire.

In 2007, he said that, for the first time, he had decided to work using a typewriter, having written all his books longhand until then.

He opened his home in Kardamyli to the local villagers on his name day. New Zealand writer Maggie Rainey-Smith (who was staying in the area while researching for her next book) joined in with his name day celebration in November 2007, and, after his death, posted some of the photographs taken that day. The house at Kardamyli was featured in the 2013 film Before Midnight.

Leigh Fermor influenced a generation of British travel writers, including Bruce Chatwin, Colin Thubron, Philip Marsden, Nicholas Crane and Rory Stewart.

Works

Books

The Traveller's Tree. (1950)

The Violins of Saint-Jacques. (1953)

A Time to Keep Silence (1957), with photographs by Joan Eyres Monsell. This was an early publication from the Queen Anne Press, a company managed by Leigh Fermor's friend Ian Fleming. In this book he describes his experiences in several monasteries, and the profound effect the time spent in them had on him.

Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese (1958)

Roumeli: Travels in Northern Greece (1966)

A Time of Gifts – On Foot to Constantinople: From the Hook of Holland to the Middle Danube (1977, published by John Murray)

Between the Woods and the Water – On Foot to Constantinople from the Hook of Holland: the Middle Danube to the Iron Gates (1986)

Three Letters from the Andes (1991)

Words of Mercury (2003), edited by Artemis Cooper

Introduction to Into Colditz by Lt Colonel Miles Reid (Michael Russell Publishing Ltd, Wilton, 1983). The story of Reid's captivity in Colditz and eventual escape by faking illness so as to qualify for repatriation. Reid had served with Leigh Fermor in Greece and was captured there trying to defend the Corinth Canal bridge in 1941.

Foreword of Albanian Assignment by Colonel David Smiley (Chatto & Windus, London, 1984). The story of SOE in Albania, by a brother in arms of Leigh Fermor, who was later a MI6 agent.

In Tearing Haste: Letters Between Deborah Devonshire and Patrick Leigh Fermor (2008), edited by Charlotte Mosley. (Deborah Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, the youngest of the six Mitford sisters, was the wife of the 11th Duke of Devonshire).

The Broken Road – Travels from Bulgaria to Mount Athos (2013), edited by Artemis Cooper and Colin Thubron from PLF's unfinished manuscript of the third volume of his account of his walk across Europe in the 1930s.

Abducting A General – The Kreipe Operation and SOE in Crete (2014)

Dashing for the Post: the Letters of Patrick Leigh Fermor (2017), edited by Adam Sisman

More Dashing: Further Letters of Patrick Leigh Fermor (2018), edited by Adam Sisman

Translations

No Innocent Abroad (published in United States as Forever Ulysses) by C. P. Rodocanachi (1938)

Julie de Carneilhan and Chance Acquaintances by Colette (1952)

The Cretan Runner: His Story of the German Occupation by George Psychoundakis (1955)

Screenplay

The Roots of Heaven (1958) adventure film, directed by John Huston

Periodicals

"A Monastery", in The Cornhill Magazine, London, no. 979, Summer, 1949.

"From Solesmes to La Grande Trappe", in The Cornhill Magazine, John Murray, London, no. 982, Spring 1950.

"Voodoo Rites in Haiti", in World Review, London, October 1950.

"The Rock-Monasteries of Cappadocia", in The Cornhill Magazine, London, no. 986, Spring 1951.

"The Monasteries of the Air", in The Cornhill Magazine, London, no. 987, Summer 1951.

"The Entrance to Hades", in The Cornhill Magazine, London, no. 1011, Spring 1957.

Books about Patrick and Joan Leigh Fermor

Artemis Cooper: Patrick Leigh Fermor. An Adventure (2012)

Helias Doundoulakis, Gabriella Gafni: My Unique Lifetime Association with Patrick Leigh Ferrmor (2015)

Simon Fenwick: Joan. The Remarkable Life of Joan Leigh Fermor (2017)

Michael O'Sullivan: Patrick Leigh Fermor, Noble Encounters between Budapest and Transylvania (2018)

Leigh Fermor was noted for his strong physical constitution, even though he smoked 80 to 100 cigarettes a day. Although in his last years he suffered from tunnel vision and wore hearing aids, he remained physically fit up to his death and dined at table on the last evening of his life.

For the last few months of his life Leigh Fermor suffered from a cancerous tumour, and in early June 2011 he underwent a tracheotomy in Greece. As death was close, according to local Greek friends, he expressed a wish to visit England to say good-bye to his friends, and then return to die in Kardamyli, though it is also stated that he actually wished to die in England and be buried next to his wife.

Leigh Fermor died in England, aged 96, on 10 June 2011, the day after his return. His funeral took place at St Peter's Church, Dumbleton, Gloucestershire, on 16 June 2011. A Guard of Honour was provided by serving and former members of the Intelligence Corps, and a bugler from the Irish Guards sounded the Last Post and reveille. Leigh Fermor is buried next to his wife in the churchyard at Dumbleton.

The Greek inscription is a quotation from Konstantinos Kavafis that can be translated as "In addition, he was that best of all things, Hellenic".

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

[mytrends101]

20 MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACES IN THE WORLD

While writing this post, I wanted to investigate the most beautiful places in the world that we have visited. I searched Google for

the top 25 in order to see what ranges the Internet “thought” was most important (or useful) when trying to find the world’s most beautiful places.

Many articles of beautiful places stated “photos courtesy of Getty” or “images courtesy of one or more stock photography sources.” We actually spotted our photos in some of these lists used without our permission.

[Though we understand] everyone’s already using our things anyway, so let’s make a list  

 These are the stunning destinations in the world that took our breath away at first glance.

I hope you enjoy the most beautiful places in the world…As much as I would.

1. Cappadocia, Turkey

We had often seen photos of Cappadocia before taking a hot air balloon ride, but a photo could not have done justice to Cappadocia’s landscape.

  It felt like a dream for me as I saw few balloons so loud 

 2. Santorini, Greece

As expected, Santorini truly lives up to its reputation as a beautiful destination. Meeting the people is a bonus along with the amazing scenery. The hotel that our team stayed at in Oia was an experience. The accommodations were luxurious and looked brand new.

As I sat in the infinity pool overlooking the caldera, I felt as if there was no other place that encapsulates the greatest wonder I’ve yet to see as much as the island of Santorini. 

 3. Lake Louise, Canada

We go to Lake Louise in the Banff area of Alberta often. Dave tells me that every time we visit, we are reminded of why he tells people that it is the beauty of this place several hundred kilometers from the Pacific Ocean that inspired him to visit. With Victoria Glacier plunging into the turquoise waters below, Lake Louise is a great place for a visit. I’ve been redoing my site layout to better

The entire area of Banff National Park exists to create a treasure chest of photo opportunities. You’ll be enthralled with each scene you encounter. We had an epic game of pond hockey on Lake Louise in the winter and it was just as beautiful in the summer as it was in the winter. In fact, we like it better in the winter because there are no crowds!

4. Maldives

The sapphire blue waters of Maldives are like nothing else in the world.

On remote private islands with palm trees and deep blue waters, exclusive hotels offer bungalows designed over the water to give the feel of a Caribbean vacation. 

Read more About:- Unique Place to visit in the world

[chrysaliseuro2018]

Cappadocia Capers

Today we visit the wonders of Cappadocia. Over breakfast Genevieve reported back on the balloon flight. Apparently is was fabulous if a little crowded in the basket with upwards of 20 people jostling for best positions. But she was glowing about the experience. Did we have a little balloon ride envy? Maybe a little bit but comfortable with the decision having both ballooned previously and the cost of €175 each (total $550+) was going to knock the budget around a bit.

Several stops were made during the course of the morning to view various sections of Cappadocia. It is an amazingly weird and wonderful sight. This natural phenomenon was caused by ancient volcanic eruptions blanketing the area with thick ash which solidified into a soft rock called tuff - something a little contradictory there I feel. Anyway, over thousands of years wind and water have shaped the landscape forming hills and mounds, lumps and bumps, crags and scrags, big and small, fat and thin. Some of the mounds, so charmingly called fairy chimneys are tall, tapering to skinny then topped with a fat blob. The area stretches into the distance and just when you think you have seen them all there is another vast plain of nobbles and bobbles. Plus many have been carved out and used as homes. Imagination is the key and we were encouraged to use it. The shapes and figures to be ‘found’ were so varied; a man in repose on a chair, kangaroos galore, a camel, birds, a buffalo. We all delighted in letting the mind go into creative free fall.

But while our imagination was busy seeing things in rocks Nahjo’s was centered on his commissions from shopping outlets cutting short our visits to some of the sights. As with all tours it was announced we would be going to the dreaded factories. First stop was the ‘Hi tits keramics’ (sic) . With a name like that I was immediately interested and Chris was definitely on board. And sure enough there on the factory was a sign ’Hi Tits’. Unfortunately high tits weren’t part of their range. Dougal finally worked out what was being referred to was in fact Hittites the ancient people who occupied Turkey (then Anatolia) prior to 1700 BC.

On approach we were given our time allowance of 40 minutes which seemed excessive compared to the 15 minutes at the rock formations. At this point Chris complained about the time imbalance which while didn’t reduce the time at the keramic factory seemed to result in longer visits to the next rock ‘panoramas to make some pictures’.

Trudged into keramics factory with Nahjo looking for a volunteer to spin some clay on a wheel. Needless to say Mr Russia was an enthusiastic rapid-fire volunteer. The gig was his. First we watched the pro then Mr Russia did his bit. Mrs Russia and son seemed mightily impressed. Next the showrooms and all the painted keramics. One design was supposed to be so intricate that only 5 master potters were skilled enough to create it. Dougal noted that these guys must be prolific considering the number of that design for sale. Mr Russia was convinced and bought one. Meanwhile Chris took a shining to an urn, entering into half-hearted negotiations while the group began heading out to the bus. Dougal noted that considering Chris’ earlier time objections he would lose all credibility if he was last out. Fortunately he joined the rest of us as we loaded back onto the bus with the keramics staff hot on his heels reducing the cost with every step. No deal.

Following some more visits to other sites with some amazing formations (they are so intriguing and oddly beautiful) it was time for the Open Air Museum. This site is a religious precinct containing a number of churches, chapels (or shapelles according to Nahjo) and a nunnery. Most of the churches belong to the 10th, 11th or 12th Century. Each chapel was cut into the rock with layers of decoration. Latter more intricate paintings had flaked away on some walls and ceilings revealing more rudimentary red paintings on the raw walls. The most magnificent one was apparently the Dark Church that Doug, Gene and Chris raved about. Apparently the paintings in there were the best preserved of all due to minimal light exposure. My claustrophobia got in the way of me visiting it. There were also some other ‘caves’ which were home to kitchens with adjoining dining area housing a table that would easily accommodate the largest of families at Christmas. Overall it was a fabulous museum and not overly crowded. Sadly no photos allowed.

Next the leather factory which was the same if somewhat provincial version of the one Chris and I had seen on the previous tour. Less glamorous models, no dimmed lights but the same deafening music. Dutifully followed the boss into the display rooms. Gene and Doug had no interest while at Chris’ persuasion I tried on a few things. Helps to be not really interested as the price plummets commensurate to lack of interest. One suede jacket dropped from starting price of $500 to final price of $250. Being the proud owner of new leather from Istanbul I didn’t need another no matter how cheap. Needless to say Mr Russia bought one for himself. Nothing for Mrs Russia.

By now it was about 2pm with Nahjo telling us the restaurant would be too busy so we wouldn’t be eating until 2.30. More rumblings from Aunty Margaret and Tina who were clearly unimpressed. So it was into the sweet and nut factory across the road where we all stuffed down samples to take the edge off our appetites. Finally Nahjo deemed it ok for us to head for lunch only to find out the kitchen closed at 3pm and it was nearly that now.

This played into our hands beautifully having not forked out for another abysmal lunch. Trouble was the poor local cafe we descended on was a one horse show that couldn’t cope with the sudden surprise influx at 3pm. Koftas were raw and chicken dry but we had a good laugh about it.

Nahjo’s on being asked cultural questions along the way had advised he would be answering them later. Well the time had come. This was Nahjo’s biggest moment of the tour. He was to play leading man in his own cultural play. We were taken into a local’s home built into one of the rock pinnacles. (Unfortunately we didn’t get any information about the home although the bloke who lived there spoke good English). A little claustrophobic for me so I headed for the window seat and quietly observed the performance that followed. Nahjo took the role of a suitor about to be introduced to his new partner’s family. Everyone was assigned roles as mother, father, grandparents, sisters, brothers, cousins or friends of the sweethearts. (Think he could see I was unimpressed as I only got to be a distant cousin as an after thought). But we were all supporting roles to Nahjo’s cameo. He clearly relished being lead actor, director, script writer and narrator remaining front and center the entire interminable performance.

At last when it was over we were released to the balcony where we enjoyed chi. But we left with our sum of knowledge about the underground houses unchanged. (How did they hollow them out, how old was the one we were in, how long had the gentleman lived there, does he own it or does the government etc...who knows?)

Finally returned to the ‘Special Class’ hotel in time for dinner and for those who had opted in for the Turkish night (interest level zero for us 4) to doll themselves up for €30 of guaranteed belly dancing and bottomless glasses. Aunty Margaret, Tina and Holly headed out in their party frocks ready for a big night. And my bet is Mr Russia would have been first up to gyrate with the dancers.

We bypassed dinner at the hotel instead opting to eat at a local cafe in town. Lentil soup (a Turkish favorite) Koftas - cooked this time - and stuffed zucchini were excellent. The wine apparently was not.

The tour while not 5 star, 4 star, 3 star and arguably not even 2 star was a whole lot of fun. Many laughs were had and in years to come we will enjoying reliving it as it’s often the dodgy holiday events that live with us the longest.

Tomorrow the tour returns to Side via another couple of factories while Chris and I and later Doug and Gene catch flights to Istanbul. From there Chris and I leave Turkey for Malta and Doug & Gene return to Canberra.

[hasansonsuzceliktas]

Building a Temple...

Love = God The Anatolian Jam is over. Things are rocking, but nothing's happening. It's such a mess in my head that I just want to hide. I saw photos on Facebook. Some people built something called Topak in Cappadocia, and it's maybe the most beautiful settlement I've ever seen. It's like a mother's womb, and the people there, who smile pleasantly and look beautiful, are called the Obaruhu (the spirit of nomads). Then my life changed. I encountered a beautiful yet tough life after love. I had no energy left for anything else. But the Obaruhu then decided to come near us and help us. Bilge was also coming over, my dearest friend from senior high. Whenever Bilge is there, I laugh. I'm relaxed, and I can be as I am. I see, and I am seen. What's more, Bilge was going to see me in my new life, in my new home and my natural habitat. We were going to play with both the Obaruhu and Bilge, but it didn't happen. I had to leave, so we couldn't play. A year passed before I saw it on Facebook, and Bilge pushed me too. The Obaruhu had decided to build a temple for Topak. It was the most amazing production combination possible in this country. Melodi was coming as well, another darling from high school with the most incredible brain. She's the answer to the question of whether aliens exists, because they do, and Melodi is proof of it. Melodi cannot help but goof around, but I don't mind because of her positive attitude (which is every alien being's right) and her wonderful heart. Çağım might also come over. If Çağım is there, I will feel great, safe, and supported. I feel understood. In my opinion, Çağım is a cross between a squirrel and a mountain.

I was bedridden for a year, and every part of me ached from the immobility. I was creating new records for laziness and fixity. I longed to play with the Obaruhu, Bilge, Melodi, and Çağım, and this weighed on me more than anything else, so I enrolled weeks in advance. I went to Badem Han, where we would build the temple, the day before just so I could chat with my friends. We were reunited. We then sat with Burcu and did not shut up for at least five hours. If it were up to me, I would have talked for five million hours. On the day of the meeting, all the marvelous colors began to pour in. It was just as I had dreamed it: a parade of beautiful people, all unique to themselves and completing each other. We sat in a circle to introduce ourselves, and everyone first expressed their wishes before making small drawings with the colors and elements they wanted. I said the building was merely a vehicle. I was there to play, and I would endeavor to see the beauty in everyone rather than their flaws. I intended to share everything that I had learned, saw, and become. When I said I didn't like to work much, it triggered a few giggles. I drew my volcano, naturally in red where the fiery magma was, and sat back down. I wanted to say much nicer things, but I was so excited that this was all I could manage. Following the circle, we retrieved Bilge's tent, which the strong wind had blown away, and Melodi, Bilge, and I squeezed in it, compensating for the lost time with laughter. In the middle of the night, the only wish that I and Züriye held came true: Çağım, who everybody thought wouldn't be able to make it, joined us. Many people woke up and ran towards Çağım half-sleeping, some fell down as they ran and some hugged him, me among them. Every wise being loves Çağım immensely. It was like a festival itself in the middle of the night. I said to myself, “Okay, now we can truly build a temple of love and unity. You're going to work your ass off, Baraniko.” We woke up at six, Ernie's favorite number and a time I’m more used to going to bed at rather than waking up. Why? We were to play the earth game. The weather is so cold, and my ass felt like it would freeze off. We went to a cemetery shivering, and they covered our eyes. We began to walk in silence, holding on to the person before us. We walked barefoot among pine needles and pebbles on the ground. With the cold things stabbing at my feet, I decided to raise my arms and shout, “Dad! Why did you leave me?” but stopped myself rather than ruin the game. My disdain for being a spoilsport surpassed my urge to schmooze, and once this sweet agony had passed, they placed some earth in our palms. We said one word and put it in the bucket for later use when building the temple. When Burcu said, “Unity,” I leisurely said, “Let there be love.” Maybe you're a bit tired of hearing this, but I have no other issues. Let there be love, and the rest will be easy.

The first day was a warm up, and the building process went very slow. The next day we were flying, though. People were sieving soil, wheeling sand and earth in barrows, and mixing them with water. Others passed mixture-filled buckets from hand to hand in a human chain. Some emptied buckets into bags, while others took measurements or ferried water. A few even just shared their music. It was just like the movie Fight Club. The next day, we went to the shore to play the water game. We first listened to our story from the voice of beauties before heading into the sea and making a circle. We began to play our game of singing songs, all among the surprised but sweet looks of the dear inhabitants of Keşan. Lots of kids were in the sea laughing, playing, and singing. I don't know how to swim, so I wouldn't normally go in the cold sea. What kind of magicians were these Obaruhu? Yet I found myself laughing hysterically, splashing water, repeatedly jumping into the middle of the circle, and singing at the top of my voice. Scorpio–Cancer Baraniko seemed to be slowly finding his self. We continued raising our temple, helping each other out, listening to the stories, tolerating flaws, and sharing our food, drink, and tobacco. We worked in four shifts every day: before breakfast, after breakfast, under the midday sun, and until the sun went down. After lunch, people would offer gifts. Melodi explained sacred geometry one day, for instance. She's been telling me this stuff constantly for 15 years, and I always loved it, although I never really understood it. Until this workshop, I thought my primitive two-dimensional brain was to blame. But then I saw how Merve and Burcu also listened to her with eager eyes and open mouths. At one point, she was talking about something like rombotiko, and we lost a few people to brain hemorrhages. I thought, “Okay, it's not just me. Us mere mortals can only understand about a half of what our dear friend is saying.” One evening, we played the fire game. We first paired up and filled each other's plates with food. Without talking, we then fed each other in turn. Çağım and I, two hairy guys, fed each other in such elegance. My inner voice at first said, “We are so tired. Screw this stupid idea,” but I loved how it all flowed, and we laughed our heads off about it. They then lit the fire, and we all played around it for a while. Then, Aslı, a wonderful and genuine person who had spent a lot of time at Badem Han, began to play with fire and dance. Every time I watched the fire, I wanted to become the fire. As the temple rose up, we began to benefit from its shadow during the daytime, and we used it for shelter at night. Volkan also organized ceremonies inside at night, with many of us smirking in our sleeping bags. Of course, I wasn't active in any of the bedtime stories. I slept approximately three hours throughout the whole workshop. Finally, we played the air game, which involved closing your eyes and letting go of your body in one piece. The main objective was to learn to trust that the people around you would catch you. This was difficult for me. I bent my knees and so on, but I couldn't entirely let go of my body. Then Mukund, a boy from Bombay with a beautiful gaze, saw this Anatolian boy. Organizing the entire group into one circle, he then placed me in the middle. At first I thought, “Shit! I’m so exposed.” Then I said, “Screw it!” and completely let go of myself. To the left and right, to the front and back, I didn't bend any part of my body even a morsel. I didn't hesitate whatsoever. They caught me every time, no matter how many times I did it.

This is how we built the temple. We placed the hexagonal hood and the glass on the roof as well. We couldn't get enough hugs as we parted. We said farewell to everyone, but alas, the final coating was not complete yet. We stayed one more night as the Obaruhu and our high school threesome completed most of the coating. We embraced each and every one of Badem Han staff, especially Aykut, for feeding us, welcoming us as their guests, opening up their hearts to us, and even working alongside us. They finished the remainder of the coating after we left. Bless them. Our temple has two triangular doors, one symbolizing the female and the other the male. Each one of us came through those doors and transformed into something beautiful. From earth, sand, and water, we built something great, but we also built actual temples in each other's hearts, falling, laughing, playing, and crying in unity and in love. Let there be Love. And there is Love. Thank goodness. (For Obaruhu visit: www.obaruhu.org) Read the full article

[justforustravel-blog]

Great Place To Camp, To Be Held In Turkey 20 - #AegeanRegion, #Antalya, #AntalyaAirportOlympos, #Bursa, #Camp, #CampgroundBozcaada, #CampgroundIsland, #CampingHoliday, #CampingInOlympos, #CampingRockCappadocia, #Cunda, #ForestCampAkyaka, #Izmir, #NevsehirAirport, #PumpkinVillageFethiye, #RockCamping, #Summer, #Turkey, #Winter, #WinterSports

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Great Place To Camp, To Be Held In Turkey 20

distinguished 4 seasons in our country on a camping holiday, camping trips now vacation one of the methods referred to do. Like ours 4 seasons, summer, winter, where you can experience the best of the cold snow, the sun, the green of the forest and the blue of the sea on a hot summer day in a country where you can easily find the most beautiful the camp really is an option that should be considered. If a trailer if you have the perfect vacation waiting for you.

you can do camping here 20 unique venue. I don’t need for many to travel long distances, in general they are located in the Aegean region. Plane tickets are already jammed, do not quit on the way back to the tent!

1. Forest camp Akyaka (Mugla)

Muğla, Akyaka, personally, so I could spend my life from that young age until old age is my favorite place. This campground almost from the beginning to the end I walked as someone who plays for me here in the first place. Once you step into the area that is green, blue you’re losing yourself. It was like a dream for me. Amazing view to the sea from the camping area, if you are on the other side of the forest on one side and the deep blue sea, this is heaven. Even when we first got here we walked that way we have had a request from someone that will be so difficult returning to come back, he’s our big brother took us in, so thanks for taking us with you, but this time he left and we walked the path down to the forest camp the same way again. Definitely walk here, crawl, but she Akyaka’Yi you experience. Toilet at the campsite, market, is there electricity. Campground operated throughout the year at different prices according to the season. Suitable for tent and RV camping. About 70 km from akyaka to Dalaman Airport.

Communication: 0 252 243 51 56 – 0551 448 70 34

2. Karagöl campground (Izmir)

karagöl lake is located in the myth of tantalus in mythology who yamanlar mountain ownership. Tectonic movements have become this at the end of the lake. Around is surrounded by a large forest. Another place I really liked, there are fish in the lake, but for some reason I didn’t find any big ones in the US. The facility is open year round. The nearest airport is Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport to black Lake.

Contact: 0534 35 58 463

3. Camping in Olympos (Antalya)

I think the Olympos is one of the most well known destinations in this regard. Being that famous, renowned slow with the arrival of foreigners in the 80s, which led to the historic fabric and people a different sense of the nature of Olympos. And green here, you will be filled into both history and the blueness of the sea. You can camp here any time of the year Outdoor at many B & B’s, Kadir’s tree houses is the most known among them. The nearest airport is 97 km from Antalya Airport Olympos.

4. Campground Bozcaada (Çanakkale)

photo: campingbozcaada.com

’s located in the south, there are pine trees in the camping area, only 200 metres from the sea the camp area. Bear campground open from May until October. RV and tent camp in the area. The nearest airport is the International Airport which is 56 km away.

5. Camping Rock Cappadocia (Nevşehir)

in business for 23 years, Rock Camping, surrounded by trees and wide at tent and trailer camp is a place which can be distinguished easily. Nearby you can join all kinds of balloons and fairy chimneys tours. The nearest airport is 30 km from Nevsehir Airport.

Contact:(384) 31 00 343

6. Pumpkin village Fethiye (muğla)

pumpkin village muğla Fethiye which is one of the eminent another of the deep blue sea where they meet is another point connected with nature. Campsites in the region offer different accommodation options available. Suitable for tent camping. The gourd the village of Dalaman Airport’at a distance of 80 km na average.

7. Campground Çobankaya Uludağ (Bursa)

  the culmination of Uludag in Bursa with the nature and exquisite winter sports, which attracts everyone that is a great campground. Also the lack is a major advantage especially for remote. The area of the national parks Department’s tent and trailer camp to belong can be made. Serving the camping area during the summer season, which is the closest airport to Bursa yenisehir Airport is 60 minutes away.

8. Campground paid Bozdağ (Izmir)

the winter snow in Izmir, if you want to camp in the woods in cold weather, here’s the complete lack. Personally, I like winter better than summer here, I’ll try to make every winter, and a big winter camp in the forest, I suggest to everyone, of course, this means more material. Summer escape from the sweltering heat of Izmir and is perfect for those who want to pull you into the atmosphere of the forest. When he came to the town of Bozdag also eat bread and old sausage at the diner don’t forget to eat bad, you will be sorry. Paid’s ten reached the town of Bozdag’s na 115 km from the nearest airport and Izmir Adnan Menderes airports.

9. Campground island of Cunda (Balıkesir)

The Island camping area, is located on the island facing the island, and also a nature area makes a fabulous holiday greenery and clear blue sea. Suitable for RV and tent camping open throughout the year.

contact: 0266 327 1211

10. Camp Yenice forest (karabük)

camping in the Yenice forests ecosystems in Europe which has one of the few undoubtedly will be an unforgettable experience. Also the area that needs urgent protection by the nature conservation foundation of the world 100, one of which was declared this region one of the rare places of wild life in Turkey. Çaycuma Airport is the nearest airport, 90 km.

11. Yildizkoy camp gökçeada (Çanakkale)

The blueness of the sea camp campground the yildizkoy another island, you will be filled as desired. There is no airport on the island of imbros in Çanakkale. Appropriate to tent camp.

Contact: 0286 887 2846

12. Nov Camping (Antalya)

in a place where you can walk to both the sea And the center of Nov Nov and Yesil is a good place for camping by the sea lovers. Suitable for RV and tent camp area. The nearest airport is Dalaman Airport 160 km.

Communication: 0242 836 10 50 – 0535 853 94 25

13. Camping opens old Foca (Izmir)

Between a rock-a festival that’s camping opens there will be those who know. A nice, decent place. To listen to the head with clean water and wooded areas appropriate for camping in one of the areas briefly. Suitable for tent and RV camping, this area is the nearest airport to Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport.

14. Artvin campgrounds

  the city of Artvin nature is seen everywhere. Kafkasör tourism center, you can do camping, Şavşat Karagöl, Borçka Karagöl, hatila Valley National Park there are camping areas and natural wonders like. Usually suitable for tent camping. The nearest airport is Erzurum Airport is located 203 km.

15. Campsite Aktur Datca (Mugla)

  The campground is the place where the pine forests meet the deep blue sea and Aktur. Received the title of most beautiful village in the last year. Tent and trailer camp is open from the months of May until the month of October. Dalaman Airport is the nearest airport and 113 km.

16. Camp IDA khidr (balıkesir)

  Ida, as we all know, oxygen is one of the areas in our country store. Dense forests, wildlife, and clean air leaves you impressed with. Khidr exactly Kirislik Valley camping’s skirt in place. Suitable to the summer season camp tents. Balikesir Airport is the nearest airport.

Contact: 0554 438 33 98

17. Campground Abant (Bolu)

lush trees with views of the lake and is a place to cleanse your soul. You can easily camp on the plateau around Lake Abant, Eaton, and daily arrivals and a little more peace of mind, you can reduce your exposure to questions. Stay with you even though it is summer, it is useful to keep in things. The nearest airport is 230 km Ankara Esenboga Airport.

18. Ihlamuralti campground Ayder (Rize)

The campground is located on the famous ayder plateau. Every moment of the region, traditional musical instruments, hearing is a reasonable place to. Suitable for tent camping. The nearest airport is Trabzon Airport.

contact: 0 537 287 88 78 – 0 507 954 30 53

19. Urla Demircili Village Camp (Izmir)

make camp at the edge of a pristine sea and a very convenient place for those who want to Demircili Village. Sea coast, set up the tent and from your tent you can sleep with a view of the sea while sipping your drinks. Even if you get a chance to fish keepingI might try, at the worst, you feed the fish as is usually done. 38 per km, and Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport is the nearest airport.

20. Erikli Plateau Camp (Yalova)

ideal for tent camping located 600 m from the sea, this area is extremely high. May enable you to go hiking in the surroundings and a beautiful view to see. Frequent in the forests around, and 3 waterfalls. The appropriate seasons are spring, summer and autumn. Nearest airport to cengiz topel airport in Kocaeli, Yalova.

this great proposal for those who want to 20 as a PDF Download to your phone here:  20 campground

[rolandbast-blog]

Leaving Istanbul to fly to Cappadocia Turkey, we realize that the weather wasn’t going to be on our side.  The distance is about 750kms, so a flight is the best way to travel to this destination. The rain had no intention of slowing down, with umbrellas in hand, a backpack for the day we are now on our way to the airport.  I’m super excited, a bucket list item is just about to happen, witnessing the fantastic early morning take off that occurs twice per day!  It’s about an hours drive from the Nevsehir Airport to Gorham (70kms) in the shuttle service that came with the tour we had purchased.  Our first stop is a quick coffee break while we pick up some guests at a local hotel.

I’m super stoked, the rain is stopped, the weather is just how it should have been at 3am. The bad news came, Roland, unfortunately, the hot air balloons will not take off this morning. What a bummer this news was, I had been dreaming of this for such a long time. The rest of the day is well planned out for us, we make our way to Gorham, a fairytale piece of heaven is exposed to us. The above photo depicts the most beautiful view I could ever imagine in my life.  I only researched the hot air balloons taking off and nothing else.  Check the work that went into these homes dating back to 1600.

A closer look at how they built these homesteads, they would start scrapping the lava rocks, yes I did say scrape all the excess to create the walls, floors and ceilings.  The tour guide we had spoken French, English and Turkish, and taking care of our needs throughout this tour was his number one agenda.  We could tell he was full of knowledge, it was bursting out of him like a kid blowing bubbles.  He was an investment well worth it.  He took his time, explaining every detail from each era, from the monks take over, the churches being involved and the kings. This one is really worth buying for its price – that took us to many places like the Pidgeon Valley, Ilhara Valley – which is said to be one of the world’s largest natural canyons. Lunch was a part of the tour, we arrived on the second level of the restaurant, a large patio that opens up over Gorham and saw a lot of other valleys and chimneys.

It has lots of fairy chimneys and ancient cave houses dated 6th century BC, lots of churches and evidence from the Christian and Ottoman influence in the region… It’s a unique cultural and historical heritage, not only in the Open Air Museum but also all over Cappadocia.  Touring the area, we stopped in to visit a still functioning home now turned into a showpiece depicting how they lived many years ago.  I cannot remember the gentleman’s name that owned this original home he is the gent in one of the photos below, with our tour guide he could communicate to us and answer our questions regarding his life.  After he retired from farming, he decided to open up his home that accommodates tourists year round.  He has many souvenirs, lots of Turkish rugs, and a personality to make us enjoy our stop in his home. This one experience is really worth buying for its price – that took us to many places like the Pidgeon Valley, Ilhara Valley – which is said to be one of the world’s largest natural canyons. We had lunch and saw a lot of other valleys, chimneys and exciting places.

The small shops are located everywhere, you can take home at a reasonable cost many local Turkish souvenirs like the lamps shown below or the evil eye that you may have noticed in some of the photos.  They will package or ship them home for your convenience (reputable seller only).

Lunch with a view is served at a local restaurant that gave us the best lookout to the cityscape of Gorham.  We experienced the local culinary dishes, like hummus, Papaz Yahnisi (Turkish beef stew) and Baklava.  This was a superb experience adding to the view and new friendships.

Now, you can’t do a tour in Gorham without hopping on the back of a camel, being my first and not my last time.  I enjoyed the ride as short and sweet it was.  It’s given me the “addiction.” Now I want to travel in the desert sand dunes on the back of a camel.  Just an idea 🙂

Taking a full adventure tour with a company means that it’s well planned, the new friends we made during the trip also had the same agenda; do, see and try as much as you can in one jam-packed day.  We enjoyed the demonstration, and even our friend decided to make a vase, fail. Lol. None of us had the hang at pottery making.  It still was fascinating, the shopping in the gallery was so much better than our attempted pottery making. Check the photos below.

As the day is coming to an end, it’s time to pack up and head to the airport.  We didn’t even want to return, the weather was clear.  We knew that the hot air balloons would be taking off by the time we’d be checked in at the airport.  I’m not happy, but tomorrow we’re off to another destination.  As I write this blog almost 2 years after we are back in Canada, I’ve had 2 attempts with hot air balloon lift offs, both were cancelled due to the weather, and that is just my luck.

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On different social media platforms, my name is Roland Bast,  my home-base has been Ottawa, Canada during the last 10 years. In 2018 I’ve worked or collaborated with many great clients, including Chateau Fairmont Laurier, Chateau Fairmont Montebello, GMC Canada, content creator for Homme Magazine (quarterly) Parc Omega, Tourism Outaouais.  The previous year I’ve had the pleasure to collaborate on campaigns for Lexus Canada, GMC Canada, Canadian Geographic: Lac Beauport Quebec, Canadian Geographic: James Bay, Andaz Hotel Ottawa, MëNa restaurant, Le Pois Penché French Brasserie, ATMA restaurant, Homme Magazine, The Westin Hotel. As my other social media platforms attain the largest of my consumer reach, currently the phase to grow as arrived and Fall 2017 I added blogging.  While I appreciate each occasion that I acquire to trek around the world with diverse cultures that enrich my living experiences. Let’s travel and explore the world together.

The Wonders of Wonderful Capadoccia, Turkey Leaving Istanbul to fly to Cappadocia Turkey, we realize that the weather wasn't going to be on our side.  

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Embarking on a Massive Journey

(March 25 2017. I’m sitting on a balcony in the spring sunshine in the middle of Anatolia, almost at the end of my trip)

22,000kms of driving, three continents, twenty+ countries over a span of six months with many hours to contemplate life itself, the natural world and more importantly, human beings and the world that they think they live in.

Over the course of three seasons; an autumn, a winter and a spring, my gray Nissan Primera station wagon and I snaked our way across many mountain ranges; the Transylvanian and Swiss Alps, the Pyrenees, Caucasus and Atlas Mountains, through snow and sunshine, fog and potholes. We followed the Mediterranean coastline and slept on beaches on the Black Sea. We lay awake on the sand looking up at the stars above listening to the surf crash down on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. We had afternoon naps in the sun in deep valley gorges, under palm trees in desert oases and in sleepy village parks. I fed the car petrol, and it fed me the chance to dream. Together we came face to face with exotic and thought-provoking places and vocabulary such as the Sahara Desert. Europe. Cappadocia. Communism. The Middle East. The Côte d’Azur. Dracula. Africa. Islam. Asia. Nazi Concentration Camps. Casablanca... I gave the car oil changes, and the car gave me changes in perception...

(My buddy in action - Nissan Primera from Georgia)

But putting big numbers, fancy names and poetic writing aside, it was one quite incredible journey. As I went along everything seamlessly blended into another leaving me feeling that I had made three key discoveries: 1> despite differences, everything is the same. 2> Nothing is ever what it appears to be 3> Reality is all in the head; it does not exist.

So, is this what I got from this trip? After traipsing around for six months I come to the table with nothing but three little sentences? Yes, for the essay at least, as this is because I believe they may just be the what religious scripts have been trying to say in their eight thousand pages. Oh, yeah, and ‘love one another’ (that’s their one) – ‘love your life’ would be my one…

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, my stories of travelling never include recommendations of where to go, what to see and what to eat, because who the f**k cares. One could be dressed to the nines, pretending to be as rich as or richer than the next fake person on board a luxury cruise liner, meanwhile having a shit time vomiting over each wave. On the other hand, one could find extreme pleasure with a stick of bread on a park bench. Instinctively, different things appeal to different people and that’s the reason recommendations don’t really work and it is always the mood of the moment that makes or breaks it. Recommendations also set people up for expectations and disappointment and we don’t want any of that here. Besides this, if one really needs recommendations for everything it means one’s been lazy to seek out what would appeal to them personally. Or worse still, is that they are displaying self-unawareness and still have a way to go in knowing their true desires and the reason they were born into this world…

(I am sitting at the table enjoying a Turkish coffee and Little Maryann comes along and asks me to recommend something to do in Europe) Me in reply: “There’s a public carpark in central Milan where there’s this big Nigerian guy and if you give him a couple of euro he keeps the police away from your car (it’s cheaper than paying per hour in the parking machine). I would quite appreciate it if you would cure my curiosity about how he manages to do this. If you really want a modern day European experience, well, there are more dark, tall and tough immigrants around than Eiffel Towers these days, and figuring out what is going on there will be more useful to society than a selfie with a baguette. Little Maryann, recommendations are out of fashion, go make your own discoveries and come back and share with me what you have found! What you discover alone will be of the most value.“

(Little Maryann didn’t quite grasp what I was getting at) Me: “Well, Little Maryann, if you want a couple of stories and if I must, a ‘recommendation’, then here you go: you could visit the famous Sagrada Família, a big Roman Catholic basilica in Barcelona – I visited it! As for a story that is more interesting, then this will be a suitable one. One afternoon my driver’s side window decided it was going to stay down and not come back up. Well, that’s not OK, because when you’re travelling you never really have any safe place to park a car and you do not want to leave the windows down when you’re not there and all your stuff is inside. What made it worse is that it was Sunday and even worse than that was it happened in France. And what’s even worse than that was it was raining that Sunday in France. And even worse than that is the frickin’ French don’t work on Sundays. And even more unfortunate is I was driving along the Mediterranean coast and I was not only getting blasted through the window by wind and rain, but by sea waves too.”

(Little Maryann’s expression is like ‘so what?’) Me: “Little Maryann, if we look into these two activities we come to a conclusion. The Sagrada Família has taken 135 years to build (and is still not finished), but to me, on that particular day, it was a worthless tacky looking piece of revered junk which pissed me off for wasting my time queuing up and paying for. I took no photos of it! I wondered if I was being an arrogant spoilt brat for even having negative thoughts toward something so overly ‘recommended’, or whether I should feel guilty denying my camera a look for itself, but it is ugly, Little Maryann, just like the look on your face right now. One thing I do not do is hum and ha over something just because that’s what all the other people do. One lesson humans have given me is that if one behaves like the masses, one doesn’t often get very far.”

(Little Maryann begins to smirk and looks intrigued) Me: “So, if I must make a ‘recommendation’, which one shall I recommend? The Sagrada família in the Spanish sunshine with hordes of gits dressed in socks and sandals with their tour guide telling them how brilliant it isn’t… Or driving with a wet shoulder and lazy, emotional window, that is obviously trying to be French? The answer is clearly the latter. The experience of tolerating a cold shoulder brings more rewards than marveling over an object, particularly a big Christian stalagmite that should be moved back to a cave somewhere”

(Little Maryann gives a little giggle and after relieving me of my last drops of coffee, she leaves)

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You might not have given it much thought, but windows can also bring very important lessons on 1> Creativity. (Trying to bag up a window in the wind. (Hint: it doesn’t work!) 2> Communication: (How can I shout: “Someone please stop the rain!” in French, and 3> Problem solving skills (“If I twist the car up this curb facing that direction with that tree there will that keep the seat dry?”) But the Sagrada Família might do it for you if it was safety you were seeking. But if you it was safety you were seeking, then you probably would not have left your front doorstep in the first place. So, if you’re seeking life’s real adventures, leave the Sagrada Família to the art lovers and geologists, and seek out something scarier (other than socks and sandals). If you’re going to get anything out of travelling (or life), then it should not, by any means, be easy! You don’t need to go far to have a stick of bread on a park bench to feel happy and probably less far to find a window to learn from, but the advantage of travelling is that it brings new ideas that may have otherwise never come to mind.

This facetious window, taught me about the power of women - It took a woman three seconds to fix it after asking two random men to help - both of whom had no clue what to do with it. Somehow her magic female hands managed to slide it up and I still don’t understand how, because I definitely tried that, and so did the other two men. I also now finally understand why Romance languages (i.e. French and Spanish) divide nouns into feminine and masculine genders - la fenêtre (French for window), la ventana (Spanish for window and ‘la’ being the feminine form of ‘the’) may possibly prove that windows share feminine traits of being both vicious and emotional – the early Europeans were clearly on to something there). I also learnt about what the French and windows have in common – they obviously don’t like working. Life could also be viewed like a window; sort of as transparent or murky as the owner allows it to be, as open or closed as the owner chooses it to be, or as friendly or bitchy as the window itself decides to be.

But jokes to piss off the PC police aside, ‘travel’ is an abstract idea. For me, I can no longer distinguish between what’s ‘travel’ and what’s ‘daily life’, and what’s ‘work’ and what’s ‘fun’ because they are intertwined, as they should be. I’m not a fan of tacky clichés (because clichés are like religions that have been so overused that the real meaning has been lost), but, here goes, ‘life is a journey’ (ew!) really has some sense to it. Unfortunately, though, despite life’s rain and windows that many people may have battled against, they still live their days more like a trip to the Sagrada Família… following the masses in their uniforms admiring stalagmites in disguise. Or in other words, putting emphasis on the most insignificant things and being blind to the most important things.

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Now I think Little Maryann may have got the point. It’s almost nightfall and I’m still here on the balcony, and I can see her in the distance stumbling up the side of a hill in the direction of the moon. I don’t know where she is going but maybe she’s on her way to discovering something of her own. Well, she’s packed her bag and not in socks and sandals, so there’s a good start. But she never mentioned anything about a hill, not least how to climb, why to climb or which hill to climb. She is just going. She’s just doing it. Maybe she’s on her way to the Milan carpark in Nigerian custody to get some answers? Or maybe she’s just trying to get the f**k away from me… She could possibly be on her way to the Sagrada Família to form her own opinions of it, and fair enough! But I don’t need to know. I could shout at her to come back and give an explanation, but she probably doesn’t fully know either. A person is never quite sure what they are looking for, so I’ll just let the world flow because that’s what the world does best. Little Maryann, like everyone, is in pursuit of her own window to battle against, her own waves to vomit over, her own goals to fulfil. In the meantime, that black hill under the moonlight can be as dark or as bright as she wants it to be, she will determine that. But she seems to be on the right path and I hope she will come back someday with her own stories to share.

[moderncolors]

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[drtanstravels]

In my last post we had been traveling around the Cappadocia region of Turkey, looking at old volcanic rock formations, exploring caves and underground cities, but missing out on the chance to go hot-air ballooning. Now we were going to wrap up our Turkish holiday by venturing around Izmir Province, an area surrounded by the Aegean Sea in the country’s west. Bear in mind that these events occured more than two months ago, thus I can’t really remember much from the trip anymore, however, from looking at our travel itinerary, going through the photos we took, and consulting Wikipedia as always, I should be able to put together a reasonably coherent account of this final leg of our adventure, but it won’t really be as much of a personal recollection. Again, there’s going to be a hell of a lot of pictures!

Thursday, September 27, 2018 We had flown in from Kayseri to the city of Izmir, the capital of Izmir Province, the previous night and it was quite late by the time we got to our hotel in the resort town of Kuşadası, just enough time to grab a bite to eat and a drink or two before we had to hit the hay in preparation for the following day, which was rather packed.

First on the agenda that morning was a trip to Ephesus, also commonly referred to as Ephesos or Efes, where we would be spending several hours walking in the footsteps of Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Marcus Cicero, and the Apostles Paul and John among others. Again, I’m not a religious person, but this could make for an interesting morning. Our guide was waiting for us at the hotel at 9:30 that morning and before long we were in Ephesus:

Ephesos was an ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia, three kilometres southwest of present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey. It was built in the 10th century BC on the site of the former Arzawan capital by Attic and Ionian Greek colonists. During the Classical Greek era it was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League. The city flourished after it came under the control of the Roman Republic in 129 BC.

The city was famed for the nearby Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Among many other monumental buildings are the Library of Celsus, and a theatre capable of holding 25,000 spectators.

Ephesos was one of the seven churches of Asia that are cited in the Book of Revelation. The Gospel of John may have been written here. The city was the site of several 5th-century Christian Councils.

The city was destroyed by the Goths in 263, and although rebuilt, the city’s importance as a commercial centre declined as the harbour was slowly silted up by the Küçükmenderes River. It was partially destroyed by an earthquake in 614 AD.

As like our time in Istanbul, we had a personal guide whose name neither of us can remember, however, he was an absolute wealth of knowledge on what we were seeing, to the point where there was simply too much information to take in. The first site we would be visiting in Ephesus would be the House of the Virgin Mary, both a Catholic and Muslim shrine:

The house was discovered in the 19th century by following the descriptions in the reported visions of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774–1824), a Roman Catholic nun and visionary, which were published as a book by Clemens Brentano after her death. While the Catholic Church has never pronounced in favour or against the authenticity of the house, it nevertheless has maintained a steady flow of pilgrimage since its discovery. Anne Catherine Emmerich was Beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 3, 2004.

Catholic pilgrims visit the house based on the belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken to this stone house by Saint John and lived there for the remainder of her earthly life.

The shrine has merited several papal Apostolic Blessings and visits from several popes, the earliest pilgrimage coming from Pope Leo XIII in 1896, and the most recent in 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI.

I find it more than a little ironic that this post is 666 words long at the end of that Wikipedia extract. Anyway, the House of the Virgin Mary now serves as a chapel and the site has a “wishing wall” where pilgrims to the house tie pieces of fabric. Also nearby is a well that is believed to have magical healing and fertility properties. I don’t believe in this type of nonsense, but I could always do with some healing to many parts of my body, however, I wasn’t willing to risk it just in case the believers are correct, because then there’s that whole ‘fertility’ thing. I’ll take occasional illness and pain over being a parent any day. I also found it a little strange that there is a recreation of the birth of Christ in the manger at the house when this is not where he is believed to have been born, but where his mother spent her latter years. It’s kind of similar to putting your mother in a retirement home in the UK and installing a catwalk in the home after her death, complete with a statue of her as a 20-year old, posing out, because she was a fashion model in Italy in her earlier years. It doesn’t really make sense if that part of her life never occurred in that particular location, let alone country. Nevertheless, let’s take a look around, although photos weren’t permitted inside:

On the grounds

Anna out the front of Mary’s joint

The side of the house

The health and fertility well

The wishing wall

Kind of missed the point

After we finished looking around the House of the Virgin Mary we then went and walked around the streets and ruins, particularly those on the way to Harbour Street, the main hub of ancient Ephesus. Due to a combination of ancient and subsequent deforestation, overgrazing by herds of goats, erosion, and soil degradation, Harbour Street is now 3-4 km (1.8-2.5 miles) away from the coastline, the muddy remains of the ancient harbour still visible. Walking along the streets gives one a decent idea of the original beauty of the city:

Starting our walk toward the town

In typical Greek style, there are a ton of columns

A closeup

An excavation site near one of the ancient streets

Anna getting a bit ahead of me

Ruins near an aqueduct

Part of the Temple of Domitian

The carvings up close

More of the Temple of Domitian

This area of the temple is still being excavated

Carving of Nike, Goddess of Victory

Possibly a well

Another great statue

Anna in the remains of an ancient arch

The Heracles Gate

Looking down the street toward the Library of Celsus

Even cats like the sculptures

Another ruined temple

Temple of Hadrian

The engravings around the top of the Temple of Hadrian

If the ruins show the original splendour of the streets, then the remains of frescoes and terrace houses offer a look into how the wealthy lived during Roman times. Sure, we saw the mosaics and frescoes of houses and churches in Cappadocia in my previous post, but during the Roman period, Ephesus was the place to be. In 27 BC, the city became the capital of proconsular Asia, entering an era of prosperity and becoming both the seat of the governor and a major centre of commerce, second in both importance and size only to Rome so the truly wealthy wanted to live a life of luxury and style. These photos from an excavation site, some of which has been restored, some not, show how that was done:

We still had a couple more impressive sites to see in Ephesus, the first being the Library of Celsus:

The Library of Celsus is an ancient Roman building in Ephesus, Anatolia, now part of Selçuk, Turkey. It was built in honour of the Roman Senator Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, completed between circa 114–117 A.D. by Celsus’ son, Gaius Julius Aquila (consul, 110 AD). The library was “one of the most impressive buildings in the Roman Empire” and built to store 12,000 scrolls and to serve as a mausoleum for Celsus, who is buried in a crypt beneath the library in a decorated marble sarcophagus. The Library of Celsus was the “third-largest library in the ancient world” behind both Alexandria and Pergamum.

The interior of the library was destroyed, supposedly by an earthquake in 262 A.D., (though other evidence points to a fire during a Gothic invasion in that same year) and the façade by another earthquake in the tenth or eleventh century A.D. It lay in ruins for centuries, until the façade was re-erected (anastylosis) by archaeologists between 1970 and 1978.

We weren’t going to get to see Celsus’ marble sarcophagus, but we weren’t left disappointed with what we did witness:

The facade from a distance

Looking through the arches to the right of the facade

Sophia, the personification of wisdom

Arete, the personification of virtue

Ennoia, the personification of intelligence

Episteme, the personification of knowledge

Looking at the ceiling

Ancient engravings

Had to get one shot of me, I guess

The final tourist attraction we’d be visiting in Ephesus was the Great Theatre. According to the details on a sign at the site, “The Great Theatre goes back to a preceding structure of the Hellenistic period (3rd-1st century BC). In the Roman period there was an extensive rebuilding under the Emperors Domitian (AD 81-96) and Trajan (AD 98-117) with at first a two-, later three-storeyed impressive façade. In addition to the theatre performances, assemblies also took place there; in the later imperial period, gladiatorial contests are also attested. Before the 7th century the Theatre was incorporated into the Byzantine city walls.”

I could post a ton of pictures that I took at the Great Theatre, but you really only need to see one, this panoramic shot I got of the stage from the top row of accessible seats:

After all of that walking around Ephesus in the morning it was finally time for lunch… Or so we thought, but first we would be stopping by a shop owned by a friend of a friend of our guide, as is often the case, this time a leather goods one. Anna and myself were ushered into a private room with a catwalk and soon we were treated to a leather fashion show before being taken into the store. It was kind of difficult to not laugh while the models were strutting because the whole situation was not only absurd and completely unexpected, but also because it wasn’t applicable to us; we live in Singapore, an equatorial country with no seasons besides the monsoon. The temperature on an average day in Singapore is usually between 31-33°C (89-91.5°F), a particularly cool night getting down to around 25°C (77°F), and the average annual humidity is 83.4%, sometimes reaching 100% when it is raining. Wearing leather pants in those conditions would chafe the entire lower half of your body raw after about two minutes, and during a thunderstorm it already feels like you’re trapped in a sauna while people urinate on you so I don’t think a leather raincoat is the solution. Anyway, I bought a much-needed new wallet from the store and then we had lunch before hitting up our next site for the day, the Temple of Artemis:

The Temple of Artemis or Artemision, also known less precisely as the Temple of Diana, was a Greek temple dedicated to an ancient, local form of the goddess Artemis. It was located in Ephesus (near the modern town of Selçuk in present-day Turkey). It was completely rebuilt three times, and in its final form was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. By 401 AD it had been ruined or destroyed. Only foundations and fragments of the last temple remain at the site.

The earliest version of the temple (a temenos) antedated the Ionic immigration by many years, and dates to the Bronze Age. Callimachus, in his Hymn to Artemis, attributed it to the Amazons. In the 7th century BC, it was destroyed by a flood. Its reconstruction, in more grandiose form, began around 550 BC, under the Cretan architect Chersiphron and his son Metagenes. The project was funded by Croesus of Lydia, and took 10 years to complete. This version of the temple was destroyed in 356 BC by Herostratus in an act of arson. The next, greatest and last form of the temple, funded by the Ephesians themselves, is described in Antipater of Sidon’s list of the world’s Seven Wonders:

‘I have set eyes on the wall of lofty Babylon on which is a road for chariots, and the statue of Zeus by the Alpheus, and the hanging gardens, and the colossus of the Sun, and the huge labour of the high pyramids, and the vast tomb of Mausolus; but when I saw the house of Artemis that mounted to the clouds, those other marvels lost their brilliancy, and I said, “Lo, apart from Olympus, the Sun never looked on aught so grand.”‘

Well, the Temple of Artemis may not be quite so brilliant today as it was 2,500 years ago, but it was still worth a look. Here’s how the site where the temple once stood, including the tomb of John the Apostle, the roped off square with the four pillars, appears today (plus a shot of our spontaneous, private, leather fashion parade):

The tomb of John the Apostle

Our day of visiting ruins may have come to an end, but we weren’t done with exploring, not by a long shot. We were going to be spending the night in Kuşadası again and this time we had plenty of time to look around. Also, I had to seek out an item; since I was in Turkey, I had decided that I wanted to buy a fez, but I wanted a proper one, not some Turkish souvenir fez that says ‘I ♥ Turkey’ or something similar that I had really only seen thus far. If you are unsure what a fez is, it is one of those short, cylindrical, peakless, felt hats that are usually red with a tassel hanging down the side as sometimes worn by Grandpa Simpson and always worn by Tommy Cooper, incidentally one of the only comedians to ever die on live television (I’m not kidding, only click that link if you’re prepared to see a clip of a man having a heart attack in front of an audience who continued to laugh, thinking it was part of the show). We wandered around Kuşadası for a few hours, absolutely gobsmacked by the insane array of counterfeit goods openly available, as well as the terrible, terrible haircuts you could get in this beautiful seaside town. I found my fez, we found a bar for a few beers, and then when it was time we found a place for dinner and another bar to settle down in for the night. A look around Kuşadası:

A shop selling genuine fake watches

Why would you do this to your child?

Walking toward Kaleiçi Mosque

Another example of awful hair desing

Some of the blue houses in an area that spans all of the colours of the rainbow

We had to try many times to get a photo of me in my new fez without cracking up laughing

A statue of what looks like Bill Murray and a pal emptying out a fishing net in front of our bar

Friday, September 28, 2018 Our final day in Turkey was upon us so we had to make it count, however, it wouldn’t be quite as packed as our previous days in Turkey because we had to catch a flight back to Istanbul at 7:30pm. There was going to be a lot of driving involved in the day’s activities so we hit the road and eventually stopped in at a kind of roadside diner-type thing that also sold some weird souvenirs, including the aforementioned ‘I ♥ Turkey’ fez, and feasted on what essentially amounted to Turkish truck-stop food before eventually landing at Laodicea on the Lycus:

Laodicea on the Lycus was an ancient city built on the river Lycus (Çürüksu). It was located in the Hellenistic regions of Caria and Lydia, which later became the Roman Province of Phrygia Pacatiana. It is now situated near the modern city of Denizli. In 2013 the archaeological site was inscribed in the Tentative list of World Heritage Sites in Turkey.

It contained one of the Seven churches of Asia mentioned in the Book of Revelation.

Well, if this joint contains a church from the only remotely interesting book of the Bible, yes, the one about the end of the world, then this could be pretty cool. But what is still there now? More ruins, of course!:

The existing remains attest to its former greatness. The ruins near Denizli (Denisli) are well preserved and as of 2012 are being substantially renovated. Its many buildings include a stadium, baths, temples, a gymnasium, theatres, and a bouleuterion (Senate House). On the eastern side, the line of the ancient wall may be distinctly traced, with the remains of the Ephesus gate; there are streets traversing the town, flanked by colonnades and numerous pedestals. North of the town, towards the Lycus, are many sarcophagi, with their covers lying near them, partly imbedded in the ground, and all having been long since rifled.

Particularly interesting are the remains of an aqueduct starting several kilometres away at the Baspinar spring in Denizli, and possibly having another more distant source. Unusually, to cross the valley to the south of Laodicea, instead of the usual open channel carried above the level of the city on lofty arches as was the usual practice of the Romans, an inverted siphon was employed consisting of a double pressurised pipeline, descending into the valley and back up to the city. The low arches supporting the siphon commence near the summit of a low hill to the south where the header tank was located, and thence continue to the first terminal distribution tank (castellum aquae) at the edge of the hill of the city, whose remains are visible to the east of the stadium and South Baths complex. The water was heavily charged with calcareous matter, as several of the arches are covered with a thick incrustation where leaks occurred at later times. The siphon consisted of large carved stone pipes; some of these also are much incrusted, and some completely choked up. The terminal tank has many clay pipes of various diameters for water distribution on the north, east and south sides which, because of the choking by sinter, were replaced in time. To the west of the terminal is a small fountain next to the vaulted gate. The aqueduct appears to have been destroyed by an earthquake, as the remaining arches lean bodily on one side, without being much broken. A second distribution terminal and sedimentation tank is visible 400 metres (1,300 ft) north of the first, to which it was connected via another siphon of travertine blocks, and this one is bigger and supplied most of the city.

The stadium, which is in a good state of preservation, is near the southern extremity of the city. The seats are arranged along two sides of a narrow valley, which appears to have been taken advantage of for this purpose, and to have been closed up at both ends. Towards the west are considerable remains of a subterranean passage, by which chariots and horses were admitted into the arena, with a long inscription over the entrance. The city ruins bear the stamp of Roman extravagance and luxury, rather than of the stern and massive solidity of the Greeks. Strabo attributes the celebrity of the place to the fertility of the soil and the wealth of some of its inhabitants: amongst whom Hiero, having adorned the city with many beautiful buildings, bequeathed to it more than 2000 talents at his death.

So, what are we waiting for? Let’s take a look around this apocalyptic pile of stones and rubble, as well as some of the stranger souvenirs from our truck-stop. As we had to take in so much information when getting shown around, I can’t remember what any of it is now, but the above information might be able to help you piece it together:

No idea what’s going on here

What better way to prove you’ve been to Turkey than a plate written in Chinese?

The Smurfs must be from Baltimore

Walking into Laodicea

Most of these outdoor shots are from what is referred to as Temple ‘A’

This piece is under a glass floor

The Church of Laodikeia

Inside the remains of the church

Pooping here would be my worst nightmare

How they used to go about their “business”

Our final stop on our epic trek around Turkey was going to be another UNESCO World Heritage site, Pamukkale, in order to unwind and take in some natural beauty before we leave the country:

Pamukkale, meaning “cotton castle” in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli in southwestern Turkey. The area is famous for a carbonate mineral left by the flowing water. It is located in Turkey’s Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley, which has a temperate climate for most of the year.

The ancient Greco-Roman city of Hierapolis was built on top of the white “castle” which is in total about 2,700 metres (8,860 ft) long, 600 m (1,970 ft) wide and 160 m (525 ft) high. It can be seen from the hills on the opposite side of the valley in the town of Denizli, 20 km away.

Known as Pamukkale (Cotton Castle) or ancient Hierapolis (Holy City), this area has been drawing the weary to its thermal springs since the time of Classical antiquity. The Turkish name refers to the surface of the shimmering, snow-white limestone, shaped over millennia by calcium-rich springs. Dripping slowly down the vast mountainside, mineral-rich waters foam and collect in terraces, spilling over cascades of stalactites into milky pools below. Legend has it that the formations are solidified cotton (the area’s principal crop) that giants left out to dry.

Tourism is and has been a major industry in the area for thousands of years, due to the attraction of the thermal pools. As recently as the mid-20th century, hotels were built over the ruins of Hierapolis, causing considerable damage. An approach road was built from the valley over the terraces, and motor bikes were allowed to go up and down the slopes. When the area was declared a World Heritage Site, the hotels were demolished and the road removed and replaced with artificial pools.

Overshadowed by natural wonder, Pamukkale’s well-preserved Roman ruins and museum have been remarkably underestimated and unadvertised; tourist brochures over the past 20 years have mainly featured photos of people bathing in the calcium pools. Aside from a small footpath running up the mountain face, the terraces are all currently off-limits, having suffered erosion and water pollution at the feet of tourists.

After our hectic travel schedule over the previous few weeks that had left us beyond a little stressed and jet-lagged, not to mention the crazy amount of walking and hiking we had done on little sleep while in Turkey, it was hard to imagine a better location to wind this trip up than a hot spring. We weren’t going in for a dip, it was just an extremely beautiful, naturally calm environment to hang out in and unwind, walk around and take in the serenity, and then sit back and have a cup of coffee while playing with the particularly clean and friendly puppies that are in the area, which is exactly what we did. Naturally, it all started with some ruins, this time of Hierapolis, and then it was time for the relaxing to begin:

Some ruins of Hierapolis

A bit of a mineral buildup

More ruins

I’m calling B.S. on pretty much all of this

Some of the pools are crystal clear

The colours of water in different basins are breathtaking

Looking around Pamukkale

The calcite-laden waters

The view back the other way

And now looking down

From another angle

A section of palm trees

Most would probably assume this is a photograph of people trekking through snow

That sign probably isn’t necessary

Anna playing with some local puppies

This one decided to eat her dress

My turn now

The sight-seeing part of our trip was now officially over. We would be transferred to Denizli airport and take a 7:30pm flight to Istanbul, arriving at around 8:30. Our flight out of Istanbul was leaving at about 3:00am so we had a room booked in the airport hotel to shower and relax in before taking our early flight back to Singapore.

Turkey was incredible, far different to anything we had expected and it is amazing to think that if we had come only a decade earlier, many of the sites we explored wouldn’t have even been excavated or rebuilt yet. I also doubt we would’ve enjoyed our time in Turkey as much as we did on this trip if we had to do everything in a large tour group. I’m not trying to sound like an entitled prick, I’m just simply not a people-person. The last time we were part of a tour group was when we were in Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands earlier this year and Anna and her friends knew almost immediately that there would be at least one person on each leg of the trip that would get on my nerves in a big way and they weren’t wrong. Large groups of people always irritate me, whether it be personal traits, habits, or just waiting around all day for them to get in the perfect pose for photos such as these that I snapped over the course of our Turkish trip, pictures that need to be taken, checked, and taken again to make sure they’re just right:

Don’t get me wrong, I take a lot of photos when we travel, but it’s more about capturing the moment, not holding up large groups of people because Anna’s hair wasn’t straight. It turns out that it doesn’t just bug me, the tour guides hate it too! In fact, one of our guides said that if they were able to create a photoshop patch that automatically removes Chinese tour groups from the background of your photos, that particular guide would be able to retire a rich and happy man. It wasn’t because of the fact they were Chinese, it was simply due to their habit of holding everyone up or getting in their way by taking pictures. Anna thought this was hilarious until I pointed out that it would also remove her from our pictures as well. That’s why I definitely consider ourselves lucky to now be able to do things privately at our own pace, without delaying anyone else or waiting for them either, and that is what made this trip truly brilliant.

Apologies again for making this more of a History lesson than a personal account, I’d just like to close with a big thank you to our tour guides and we may have to come back again to do the hot-air ballooning, hopefully on enough sleep. I’d also like to add that, in keeping with a recent trend beginning back in May that has plagued pretty much all of our recent international trips, with disasters or tragedies occurring while we were in, or immediately after we left Hawaii, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong and China, Turkey didn’t escape unscathed. On this occasion, there was a hurricane warning in Turkey the day we were to depart and Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by his own government just two days after we left.

Let’s hope nothing bad happens in South Korea as a result of us visiting Seoul next week.

The final leg of our tour of Turkey, exploring Izmir Province In my last post we had been traveling around the Cappadocia region of Turkey, looking at old volcanic rock formations, exploring caves and underground cities, but missing out on the chance to go hot-air ballooning.

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*Thank you to Butterfly Balloons for partnering with me for this post. As always, all opinion are my own, and I am never compensated for a positive review.

Cappadocia, Turkey is famous for many things…However, its hot air balloon rides are perhaps its most distinguishing feature. Roughly 100 balloons take to the skies every morning (weather permitting). It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen…and it happens every morning at sunrise! (This area has the perfect weather for ballooning, and it also has some spectacular landscapes.)

Needless to say, taking a hot air balloon ride while you’re here is a must! I was fortunate to be able to partner with an incredible boutique balloon company for this adventure – Butterfly Balloons. Even Rick Stevens recommends flying with Butterfly Balloons! I’ll explain why they’re highly rated in this post + what to expect on your journey.

*For this experience, we took their “Butterfly Flight.” This takes just over an hour. Another option is the BUTTERFLY Beyond Flight. This flight takes 1 1/2 – 2 hours and allows less people on the balloon. *Note: The BEYOND flight is NOT available from November to March, due to unsuitable weather conditions.

What It’s Like to Ride a Hot Air Balloon in Cappadocia, Turkey with Butterfly Balloons

Before Dawn Pick Up

The ideal time of day for a balloon ride is just after sunrise. This is because there is hardly any wind at this time of day. After 10 a.m. it’s generally too windy to safely fly a balloon. Your pick up time from your hotel will vary depending on when sunrise is. We went in early November, so we were able to sleep in a little more and didn’t get picked up until 6 am.

Our hotel, the Sultan Cave Suites, also works with Butterfly Balloons. So, everything went incredibly smooth for pickup. Our names and pick up time were even written on a little chalkboard in the lobby before we went to bed.

Breakfast

Given you’ll be taking off well before your hotel serves breakfast, Butterfly Balloons will provide you with a buffet style breakfast feast when you arrive at their office in Göreme. You won’t get too much time to eat, though. So, don’t dilly dally! Haha.

After you eat your breakfast, you’ll then be shuttled a little ways to the launch field. This is SO cool, in my opinion. All the partially inflated balloons look like sleeping giants in the fields. (I’m so sorry! I didn’t have time to get a photo of them all! The photos above are the best I got.)

…And We’re Off with Butterfly Balloons!

You’ll then climb into the basket, listen to a safety briefing…and poof! You’re floating!

Aren’t You Afraid of Heights?

And yes, I’m terrified of heights! However, given how smooth the ride is and how safe I felt in the basket… I didn’t have any issues with my fear of heights. This is also due to the fact I was able to feel quite stable wedged in a corner of the basket.

Butterfly Balloons Double-T Baskets

Speaking of which, Butterfly Balloons has some baskets that you don’t see on many of the other balloons. They’re called “double-T baskets.” They’re partitioned off to allow only a max of 5 people per partition, so a group of 20+ people isn’t all vying for the same photograph. I REALLY liked this.

These partitions made me feel a lot safer!

Balloon Basket Etiquette

4 people is really the ideal amount for these baskets. Our basket had 5 people, though. This wouldn’t have been an issue. However, I was the first one to jump on the balloon (not one to dilly dally!)…so I was wedged in the back of the basket by the pilot. This wasn’t always ideal for photographs, and my fellow passengers in my partition did not really feel the need to share the view.

I did witness all the other partitions sharing and switching back and forth, so everyone would get a shot and a sufficient amount of time in each spot. BE like these people. SHARE your view. Everyone will have a much better experience!

(This is just something to consider for your flight. I’m not complaining about the people in my basket – I honestly don’t think they were trying to be rude, they were just wrapped up in the moment and the view…which is very easy to do!)

Those VIEWS

Regardless of where you are in the basket, though…your jaw will drop at the views! You’re guaranteed at least ONE good photo with these views…so, be sure to enjoy the moment and don’t get too caught up in the photos!

This gentleman had the right idea – just enjoy the view!

Landing

I was super impressed with how our pilot, Gökhan, and his crew, managed to land the balloon directly onto the trailer! That’s incredible! I don’t believe this happens every single time, though. We were very fortunate to have such a calm day.

Coming in for landing!

Once you’re on the ground you can also help get the air out of the balloon by walking on it. And jumping in it…like my husband did, below!

Landing Ceremony

Wahoo! You just experienced an incredible hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia, Turkey! Now…of course, it’s time for champagne and cake! You will also receive a flight certificate and a medal to commemorate your flight.

Cheers! I have my medal and champagne and cake in my mouth, haha!

Honest Thoughts on the Experience

This was my first time in a hot air balloon, so I really have nothing to compare it too! However, watching the sunrise with 100 other hot air balloons floating around you is a really surreal experience.

I also really liked our pilot, Gökhan, he was cracking jokes left and right to put everyone at ease. He also clearly is experienced with how well he could maneuver the balloon! The whole experience was very efficient. We were back at our hotel for second breakfast (the Hobbits would be so proud) well before the tour I had planned for the day.

And like I had mentioned, I did like the partitioned baskets…more because of my fear of heights. Just looking at the other big open baskets with a crowd of people gave me anxiety!

It’s also worth noting, that your views will likely be different than mine, even if you take this exact flight with this exact pilot. This is because your route for the day is completely determined by what direction the wind is blowing that morning. There is no steering the hot air balloon into a designated path! On the days after this ride, I woke up at dawn to watch the balloons from our hotel’s famous terrace. And one morning the balloons were incredibly close to our hotel…and the next day they were barely even in the city. It really all comes down to the wind!

What I Wore for This November Flight

It gets cold in Cappadocia in the month of November! All those photos you see of girls in cute sundresses and barefoot were likely taken during summer…or these ladies were freezing to death! I do admit, though, that I did not notice the cold as I was so wrapped up in the view and taking photos. However, my husband assures me it was cold. Haha. So dress warm!

I wore a T-shirt, chunky knit cardigan, winter coat, scarf, jeans, hiking boots, headband and gloves. (I did end up taking my gloves off, though to use my camera better.) This kept me warm. The biggest thing for me was to keep my ears warm and wear a warm coat to keep any wind out. (All linked in the widget, below.)   [show_shopthepost_widget id=”3348780″]

  A big thank you to Butterfly Balloons for such a wonderful day! Please enjoy more photos of the flight in the gallery below (feel free to click on them to make them full-sized). And I’m curious, has anyone else ever flown in a hot air balloon? And if not, would you? Let me know in the comments!

*Click here to visit Butterfly Balloons website. Click here to see the Sultan Cave Suites rates. (This is the hotel we stayed at who works with Butterfly Balloons, you can also click here to see the views from their famous terrace.)

A balloon waiting to be inflated.

Popping the champagne!

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*Disclosure: some of these links are affiliate links. Meaning, if you click a link and make a purchase, Have Clothes, Will Travel gets a very small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible! I am also a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

*Thank you to Butterfly Balloons for partnering with me for this post. As always, all opinion are my own, and I am never compensated for a positive review.

What It's Like to Ride a Hot Air Balloon in Cappadocia, Turkey with Butterfly Balloons *Thank you to Butterfly Balloons for partnering with me for this post. As always, all opinion are my own, and I am never compensated for a positive review.

[terraencounters-blog-blog]

People have such a fascination for top five or top ten lists.  They ask questions such as Which 5 countries should I visit before I die?, If you could travel non-stop for a year, where would you go and what would you do? or Which countries do you like to suggest to tourists after they visit your countries?

After travelling three years Round The World (RTW), travelling one year in Europe, working for seven years in Europe and living/exploring in North America, that’s a hard question.  We don’t think we could select just five or ten countries. 

But it is not really how many countries you should or have seen.  It is how you travel that is the question.  Our personal philosophy is that one should experience the things that are unique to that country rather than doing the same things you would normally do.  One main problem is that tourists get “museumed out” or “templed out”.  The only way to get more out of your trip is to learn why the place was so significant and how each major site or work of art has influenced the next major site or work of art.  The point of travelling is to learn about the culture, cuisine, people and history of your destination.

So we will give you a “short list” of our favourite places in the world — they are not being ranked and are shown in geographic order travelling westwards from North America.  This post will attempt to explain at a very high level why you should visit the countries below.  

Actually, I have only listed 15 countries and I’m sure I’ve left off a few special ones.  We did not include places we have not yet seen like South America!  Do you have any countries that you think should be added to this list?  Please send us a message or fill in our Travel Destination Poll and I’ll adjust the list.  This will also give us an idea of which countries you would like us to blog about. 

Round The World Trip Stopovers

First of all, the countries you visit in large part will be based on the Round The World (RTW) or other ticket that you get plus any side trips you are willing to pay extra for.  One rule of RTW tickets is that you cannot backtrack and must travel in a continuous westward or eastward direction.  The second rule is that any ticket is only valid for one year.  So we had to split our RTW trip into three tickets.

Itinerary Planning

One of the prerequisite steps for travel planning is to decide how fast you plan to travel from one site to another.  You need to allow a half day or one day for travel between sites.  Minor points of interest can easily be included as part of the travel day.  We aim for 3 to 4 hours of driving time using Google Maps.  However, it always takes longer because of meals, viewpoints, photography, et al.

Whether you are on a short trip or a RTW trip, we have a rule-of-thumb.  The minimum stop for anywhere of significance is 2 full days.  For a major destination allow 4 to 7 days.  That does not include travel time.  We like to find stopovers that we can use as a base to make day trips to nearby sights.  Major destinations would be cities like Venice (Venezia), Florence (Firenze), Rome, Istanbul and Göreme.  A significant destination would be a city like Ephesus.

If you have a set amount of time – like a two or three-week vacation – then work backwards to figure out how many sleep-over destinations to plan for.  So, if you have two weeks you need to subtract two days for getting there and back.  This means in 14 days you should only plan on five significant destinations or three major destinations.

New Zealand

New Zealand is our favourite western country with friendly people, Maori culture,  dramatic volcanic and thermal areas, and great hiking.  For a couple of examples of the spectacular mountain and glacial lake scenery, see the New Zealand South Island post.

Tongariro NP shown above was the first time we hiked around a volcano (actually three of them).  This was a spectacular three-day “track” (Kiwi for trail).  The photo shows a treacherous stretch of scoria (tiny lava balls) that provided little traction while clinging to the steep slope of the Red Crater.  The trail has since been rerouted to go along the crater rim ledge above on the right.  By the way, these are active volcanoes.  The last eruption was in 2012.

Thailand

Morning Devata Welcome © 2014

Thailand (TH) is the place for tasty food, spectacular architecture, ancient ruins, fascinating Buddhist culture, and great national parks.  For a quieter city than Bangkok, do not miss Chiang Mai, full of great food and sights.  Off the tourist track is the ornate mind-blowing Wat Bupparam in the right-hand photo.  It makes you think of the Baroque era in Europe but with more gold.  For more suggestions see our post on our recent Thailand North trip, our third time in Thailand.

Thailand has ocean and beaches as well but that is not what is unique to Thailand.  You may not realize, but what is special is that the countries of Southeast Asia are linked to India, whose traders brought them Hinduism and later Buddhism.  Welcoming us to the temple above in early morning light is a devata, a Hindu celestial being.  His hand gesture means namaste (Hindi) or “hello”; but it literally means “I bow to the god in you”.   There are many Hindu symbols incorporated into Buddhism.

China

Great Wall © 1982

Pay homage to China (CN) for the impressive inventions that are the cornerstone of modern civilization.  The Chinese loved lists even back in ancient times.  One of their ancient lists is the Four Great Inventions – paper, printing, compass, and gunpowder.  Western civilization is dependent on these inventions – imagine if there was no toilet paper or paper money!  OK, paper money is on the way out but try to visualise before Marco Polo, everyone had to carry huge amounts of heavy metal coins to go shopping.  Not fun!

Visit China for its significant contributions to art and architecture, cuisine and culture.  In addition to Beijing, be sure to see the Great Wall, mandarin gardens in Suzhou, the Clay Army and Buddhist caves in Xian area, Guilin, and the Shilin, Stone Forest.   Oh and you can hike the Five Great Mountains, such as Huangshan and Omeishan.

Taiwan

Sure we enjoyed the scenery in Taiwan (TW) such as Tairoko Gorge and the capital, Taipei.  But don’t miss the National Palace Museum full of China’s most incredible ancient artefacts – 700,000 works of art!  They were saved from the ravages of the Cultural Revolution since they were removed by the retreating Kuomintang in 1949 from the National Palace Museum in Beijing – better known as the Forbidden City.  Only by seeing these artefacts will you appreciate the depth and grandeur of Imperial China.

Japan

Visit Japan (JP) for their significant contributions to art and architecture; cuisine and culture.  Watch for festivals when they display their amazing silk kimonos.  They have a gentle sumi-masen (so sorry) culture.  Temples and palaces are based on the principle of restrained elegance – just a hint of gold against a black background – oh so effective.  It is the opposite of the Baroque-like Thai decoration.

Oh did I mention the quaint gassho-zukuri (farm houses with steep thatched roofs) in Shirakawago and Gokayama?

Then there is great scenery, volcanic areas and hiking.  In the fall don’t miss the maple leaves of the Japanese Alps.   Then there are the groomed Medieval-like castles with ornate samurai armour.  Finally, don’t miss the unique Three Great Gardens of Japan – like Kanazawa’s Kenrokuen, Saihouji (Zen Temple) & Moss Garden, Koraku-en in Okayama and Kairaku-en in Mito.  OK I added one.

India

Ladahki Headress

Guman Chand Patwa was an affluent businessman who traded in zari (silver) and badla (golden) thread ornaments called patwai. But the main wealth of the family came from banking and opium trade, with some 300 offices from Jaisalmer to China! The Patwon Ki Haveli was built by the Patwa family during the 18th century and took some fifty years to build.

Visit India for the impressive inventions that are the cornerstone of modern civilization.  Did you know they invented the number zero?   See their significant contributions to art, and architecture, cuisine and culture.  Jaisalmer (state of Rajasthan) has incredible carved buildings shown in the right-hand photo.  But this is not wood –– this is embroidery in stone!  Appreciate India’s cultural diversity (it has 236 languages and dialects).  One Indian proudly told us that there were more differences between the states in India than between the countries in Europe.

India also has great scenery and hiking.  Do not miss walking through tea plantations in Darjeeling, sipping Earl Grey tea and viewing the world’s fifth highest mountain, Kanchenjunga.

On the western side of India, you must travel to Buddhist Ladakh to see Tibet without travelling there.  The Sikhs captured Ladakh from Tibet in 1834.  You are in desert mountain scenery at 10,000 ft elevation (3rd image).  I bet you did not think that the photo above is what the Himalayas look like.  The Ladakhi woman (2nd photo) is not just wearing an elaborate headgear.  That is her wealth counted in rare coral and turquoise beads.

Nepal

Annapurna Range. Pokhara © 1983

Nepal (NP) is not just about fantastic hiking and photography in the Himalayas.  Kathmandu had a treasure trove of  art and architecture, temples and palaces – at least until the recent earthquake.  Unlike in India, the elaborate carved buildings above are carved in wood.

Turkey

View from Sunset Point © 2014

Turkey (TK) is one of our favourite countries.  It is the place to see Ancient Roman ruins and architecture, amazing Islamic art and architecture, superb turquoise sea, dramatic volcano and mountain scenery, and amazing Cappadocia (above).  Oh, did I mention the most friendly people?

Greece

Erechtheion © 1973-74

Ionic Column © 1973-74

Greece (GR) is a must-see for Ancient Greek art and architecture, cuisine and culture.  The Greeks gave us Ionic (above) and Doric columns that decorate many classical buildings since Ancient Rome.  They did not invent democracy –– the Lycians in Patara in ancient Turkey created the first parliament!  But the Greeks spread it through the West and it was adopted by Ancient Rome until they reverted to military dictatorship.

Greece is also a must-go for cuisine and culture.  We can still remember tasting our first lamb souvlaki in pita – it was to die for!

Italy

Pantheon © 1991

Italy (IT) is the place for friendly people who love children — our son was born in Rome.  Italy has the most superb collection of art and architecture on Earth, plus a cuisine and culture that have spread around the world.

A hidden gem for non-Europeans is hiking in the dramatic Dolomites, those pointed spires of limestone.  They used to below the sea!  You take a funivia up to the top so that you only have to walk down!  Italy is great place to see medieval and renaissance festivals with the locals dressed up in period costumes.

Switzerland

Visit Switzerland (CH) for hiking between meticulously clean, picture postcard villages nestled in scenic Alps filled with wooden chalets, glaciers and glacial lakes.   Actually Alps does not mean mountains; it really means the green pastures high in the mountains.  If you have a car, some of the roads between Italy and Switzerland are to die for.  Unfortunately, most dramatic parts travel through covered avalanche shelters with no place to stop.  Do not sightsee and drive.  Instead, go hiking in Zermatt, Grindelwald, Wengen, and Lauterbrunnen.  One New Jersey hiker told our Swiss friend while we were hiking that the Canadian Rockies were way better than the Swiss Alps.  Needless to say, our Swiss friend was not pleased.  We understand his point about true wilderness, but while they are full of civilization, the Alps are so picturesque.

Switzerland is quadralingual (German, French, Italian and  Romansch) so their official name is Latin, Confœderatio Helvetica, hence why their ISO Country Code is CH.  For smaller cities visit Luzurn and Bern.  Don’t forget chocolate, fondu, wine and cheese tasting.

France

We have to praise France (FR) for their love of history and how well they restored their towns after World War II.  When we visited a French town many years ago we were shocked to find out that it had been destroyed and was rebuilt to look exactly like the original.  You would never have known.  Visit France for the art and architecture, cuisine and outdoor cafes.  Of course you have to visit Paris, the city that never sleeps, just for the atmosphere.

But don’t miss the chateau region, wine-tasting, off-the-beaten track Dordogne, or hiking in French Alps.  Imagine taking a cable car up to a relatively flat trail (2nd photo above) at the level of the French Alps with views of Chamonix across the valley – heaven!

Great Britain

London

London Bridge

Visit Great Britain (GB) for London, Edinburgh, and Scotland in general.  For something a little less touristy (only a little as UK is small, half the size of the province of Alberta or the size of Michigan) get off the city tourist track.  Cornwall and Wales are renown for their coastlines.  The miners from these mining regions often left for better fortunes in the new world.  Now coastal tracks and hillside fishing villages like Tintagel above draw tourists.

What is unique to Great Britain, however, are the formers estates of the nobility who could no longer afford the upkeep.  These estates have been acquired by the National Trust.  Be sure to visit at least a couple of these heritage homes, which often come with some of the best English gardens in the country.  The National Trust restores the building to its original era including finding period furniture.  You come away in amazement at the wealth of the 1%.

Open-beam timber frames above can be seen in many cities in UK as well as in Germany and France.  But timber-frame and thatched-roof buildings are typical of quaint villages in such areas as the Cotswolds.  This is quintessential England.

United States

In the United States, visit our favourite area, the southwest with spectacular national parks and red-tinged desert canyon scenery.  That is in addition to the Grand Canyon.

OK, also add Yellowstone NP further to the north.  Oh and California, Oregon and Washington States.  Picture Lake in the photo above, OMG!  Hey we love the West even if we’re from the East.  In the east it is all about cities like Washington DC and New York.  But a must-do is to take the Parks Service walks of national historic monuments in Boston.

Canada

In Canada (CA) our favourite areas are the provinces of Alberta & British Columbia including the must-see Icefield Parkway of the spectacular Rockies.  We are currently posting about our recent 19,000 km road trip across Canada to Yukon Territory (THE Gold Rush country as they are still mining gold there).  Later we will post about the world’s most culturally diverse city (Vancouver), Vancouver Island, Canada’s Glacier NP, and the Rogers Pass area.

On the east coast, there is Nova Scotia (Cape Breton NP), New Brunswick (Fundy Bay NP) and Newfoundland (Gros Morne NP, icebergs), all come with superb seafood, fish and chips.  Newfoundland, which has the friendliest people, was the island that led to the discovery of North America in 1500 by Europe.  Move over Cristoforo Colombo!  It’s about time we use his real name, Anglophones.  He was a vero Italiano.  America (i.e. Newfoundland) was actually first discovered in 1000 CE by the Vikings, but they kept that secret to themselves.  You can visit the proof of their existence.

Now it’s your turn.  Which countries do you think should be added to this list?  Please send us a message or fill in our Travel Destination Poll and I’ll adjust the list. 

The point of travelling is to learn about the culture, cuisine, people and history of your destination #travel #amazing #hiking #nature #photography #RTW People have such a fascination for top five or top ten lists.  They ask questions such as…