2009/10 Turkey finish

Well what a relief to be back on the road with an engine sounding sweet, well at least that rattle so typical of a Ford it seems. We had managed to clear all our waste water etc but had some difficulty filling Stan with clean drinking water. The Turks are very fussy about their water, never keen to drink from the tap, and everyone we asked had a different answer.  Some thought we should fill with bottled water, others knew of spring water, but disagreed about which was the best – some were better for cay (tea) and others for drinking water. The locations were usually obscure. Finally we settled for the cay spring which was close to town. So far we seem to be OK, so hopefully a good choice. The springs along the roadside are usually labelled to say whether they are drinkable or not – page 38 of the Rough Guide gives us all the words for drinkable or not.

We left Marmaris to travel along the Dacha Peninsula, out to the archaeological site of Knidos right at the end. The road deteriorated seriously in the last few kilometres, white-knuckle stuff for Joanna. Stopped to buy honey on the side of the road (to go with the delicious Turkish yoghurt) and were enthusiastically invited to join some sort of local celebration, sat at a table and plied with a feast. All kinds of local delicacies, most of which we enjoyed!  

Luckily they didn’t seem to want us to stay too long,as the language barrier was huge, so were able to get on the road to Knidos. We really enjoy these ancient sites, especially this one with the twin harbours. It is quite awe-inspiring to imagine that these things were put in place nearly 3000 years ago. The level of development of the infrastructure is amazing – drainage systems etc, that can clearly be seen. As David says, at the same time the British were racing around painted in mud. The stature of the Aphrodite, the first statue in the world of a goddess completely nude, used to be there but she left some time ago, although David has made a date to see her in London at the Brit Museum.

Yet another swim and a beer, and back to the small town of Palamutbuku. It is great – none of the brash tourist development of Marmaris, but all amenities to make it comfortable.   It is a real middle class Turkish holiday resort. Lots of restaurants, with wifi, a park right on the beach(which no one seems to mind about). People are always ready for a chat and to find out how we got Stan here all the way from NZ. A lot of chartered yachts and gullets ( large, very comfortable Turkish ketches, modelled on traditional boats ,that take about 10 people), pass through. We would quite happily stay for a few days, but having lost nearly a week we need to get moving. Ramadan starts on the 21st, so will be interesting to see what sort of impact that has on the tourist trade – and on David’s continuing daily, local beer research.

We made our way back along the peninsula with a quick visit to Dacha itself. Another really nice town that has seemed to steer clear of the dreaded package deal trade. Apparently there is a large expat community of Brits and Dutch, which means we were able to buy a reasonably up to date newspaper. Back onto the very mountainous road back to Marmaris. We seem to find a lot of hilly routes. We wish the Turks were more like the Italians who put in a tunnel at every available opportunity. Although mountainous roads mean panoramic views.

We passed through Marmaris to confirm all was well with Stan and enjoy a cheap auto parts cafe lunch.   Next night at Koycegiz beside a lagoon cut off from the sea.  Very Turkish for a change and pleasant cafe stroll in the evening with a coffee and backgammon as do the locals, although at 4 am it became evident we were parked very close to the mosque on the first night of Ramadan, loud speakers and drums marching through the streets.

Still heading south along what is called the Turquoise Coast past Govec, a big yacht marina place and onto Oludinez which has a fine beach but little accommodation, so the package holiday Brits are based several kilometres inland. The coast road here is spectacular perched on the cliffs above the sea on a part of the coast that is now part of an internationally acclaimed walk -the Lycean Way (full walk can take a month - so for another year).

On the road passing more Xanthos and Patura (no time to see them all) to Kalken (lots of Brits buying houses here says the guide book)for the night, right on the rocks for a swim evening and again in the morning.   Next stop Kas which we thought a very pleasant seaside town,with lovely old Ottoman style houses, although not much of a beach. We whiled away a couple of hours chatting to carpet salesmen –we are a great disappointment to them with our lack of purchase, although I always make it quite clear at the start that we won’t be buying. They are ever optimistic.

Picking up the pace now we continued round the coast past the town of Antalya to an overnight stop on a beach near Side. We say near Side because the sea side for kilometres to the west is covered in very messy hotel developments in very bad taste- pity the packaged holidaymakers booked in here.The visit to the ruins at Side were special as they form part of the town with a road through the middle.  Self standing theatre for 20,000, and down to the columns of the Apollo temple on the waterfront. Plenty of tourists (full English breakfast etc) but a place with great character and good sand beaches. 

So goodbye to the Adriatic and Mediterranean coasts we are heading into the Turkish heartland, up and down through the mountains, could have been in British Columbia again, to arrive at a vast plateau, endless distance with wheat fields (stubble only now), more like what one imagines the steppes of central Asia to look like. Stopped at a place called Baysehir on one of the large shallow lakes in this centre of Turkey, a lunch of lake Bass went down well, and by the way there seems to be no problem in buying and drinking beer during Ramadan.   A quick visit to a thousand year old wooden mosque was well worth the effort. The scenery here is so completely different, rolling plain with harsh brown smooth hills, a straight road that disappears into the dusty distance. We stopped near one of the Caravanserais set up by the Sultan for travellers. However the advantage is that at over 1000m a,attitude it is cool, for what seems the first time in months, sleep beneath the duvet, drink less –pee more, and even David is not craving a beer by 11am. 

 

 

Now it’s Cappadocia and the troglodytes again. This is an extraordinary place.  A cross between a moonscape and Noddyland, with a little bit of Hobbitown thrown in. Joanna was here 32 years ago and was worried that it would be disappointing. It has certainly changed a lot,in fact little is recognisable, but it is still fantastic. The landscape is mind boggling. We can’t stop taking photos, whereas usually we forget to. Around every corner there is another great scene. The first visit was to a Hittite underground cities, housing up to 40,000 people (don’t know how they know that) date back to 1900BC, we did not visit their main town centre further north.

The whole area is a layer of volcanic tuff, easy to excavate and easily weathered.  There are acres of weathered rock formations, exotic looking cones some with a basalt lump marooned on top which are called ‘fairy chimneys’.  Troglodyte churches and houses built into the cliffs or hollowed out fairy chimneys are everywhere.   

We completed our sightseeing here by getting up at 5 in the morning and taking a flight on a hot air balloon. Spectacular and we were not alone, there are about twenty balloons in the sky each dawn drifting over the valleys. 

After a last early morning walk through these freaks of nature we had to move on and completed a 500km drive to a town in the north called Safranbolu with its very well preserved Ottoman half timbered houses with overhanging balconies, narrow cobbled streets, Turkish baths and mosque. No sooner arrived, we discovered that David had left his satchel complete with computer, ipod and Joanna’s jewellery at a cafe back in Cappodocia, so a quick look round the town by night only, although we were impressed and would have liked to stay longer but!!!. Back we drove to discover next day, to our delight and relief, and to the credit of the Turkish sense of honesty, that it was still there under the counter, much thanking, drinking of cay,talking about NZ with few presents from NZ, exchange of emails, etc. Note, why don't we bring a book and map of NZ with us to explain all these things!!!  Anyway hereafter David will be more protective of the satchel or we won’t bother and instead, rely on Stan’s alarm system, Joanna has been handing out lessons in guarding handbags with a strap round the leg at table etc etc.

So after the 1,000km diversion we drove back north again skirting the capital Ankara and stopping at sundown at a crowded truck stop-best meal at best price so far, although nobody spoke a work of English. Being Ramadan, the restaurant was packed with truckies and travelling families at sundown, so things were humming.  This time we went direct to the Black Sea resort of Akcakoca and a park right on the seafront, a swim in the Black Sea which has very little salt. Sat on the sea front and had a chat with locals, and watched the evening promenade.  Ramadan started on the 21st August but it has not affected us too much as in Turkey they are fairly relaxed considering the strict adherence as a personal matter for themselves and no problem for visitors. As we discovered in Egypt it does liven up the evening as after the sundown meal families and groups go for an evening stroll etc.

All over Turkey (and Greece for that matter), we pass stalls on the side of the road selling local produce or specialities.  However the stalls are all selling the same thing depending on the region be it olives, olive oil, wine, honey, melons -  I have never seen so many melons for sale in their thousands in stall after stall 100m apart (we have bought the rarer honeydew melon but the vast majority are water melons). Here near the Black Sea it is nuts and locally hazel nuts, we have passed the almond nut region.

  Drove along the Black Sea coast passing very small sea side places, definitely not on the tourist track,thence on the motorway fighting it out with trucks from all sides. Into town we were looking for one of two campsites listed on the west side, one seems to have been demolished, the other we spent two hours circling round asking police and taxi drivers to no avail – has it really been demolished also,  anyway just parked in the street close to a metro station.  Next day it rained – what a cheek- we haven't had rain for more than 2 months. Anyway into town on the metro then the tram, these journeys let one see part of ordinary life.

Day one was the Aya Sofya (built as a church, now a museum) built in 537AD and the largest enclosed space in the world for one thousand years. It is huge with high dome and some wonderful mosaics some of which were covered over during its Islamist life. Next the Blue Mosque which the Sultan built to be ‘huger’ than Aya Sofya and it is impressive both outside dominating the area and inside with all the mosaic tiling. The ‘bazaar’ was a disappointment - just an extensive network of shops selling the usual things – not like the one in Cairo in the good old days – no craftsmen at work etc. The Turkish Bath in a 600 year old building was wonderful. Then a rush to get into the cafe before the food is all sold out with the Ramadan sundown rush.

Day two was the Topkapi Palace all morning as it is very extensive with lots of separate buildings and large courtyards. The Sultan’s quarters (Harem) with space for the Eunuch guards and Concubines, the Treasury with a display of the presents given to the Sultans including the third largest diamond in the world. The palace is very extensive and everywhere ornate ceramic tiles. A quick look at the spice market and then an afternoon a cruise along the Bosphorus, more like a wide river than entrance to the Black Sea.    

Day three saw David put 2 litres of water into the ‘house’ battery before heading north to Bulgaria, stopped at a supermarket to spend our last lira (including a free tee shirt with three 1l bottles of beer) and after a drive through extensive forest we crossed the border into Bulgaria at a very remote border post, and drove to Burgas to park beside the beach and pick up a free wireless internet from the neighbouring cafe.

A month in Turkey and we have had time to get to know the country, the food and lifestyle and note the changes between the passengers on our urban trams in Istanbul which could have been any western Europe well off town and the centre of the county and no doubt the east which we would like to visit one day. Everybody has been very friendly and helpful in spite of language difficulties – the tourist offices are an exception, in general being not friendly at all and rarely have much information. It is a bit of a relief not to have to worry about conforming to dress codes and other cultural issues especially for Joanna, but we will miss the cheery friendliness that is so common throughout Turkey.