Shelly murmured "Poor Medusa" nearly all throughout the time we visited the Basilica Cistern. While I remember the underground palace's impressive water system from years ago, still in use today, I remember poor medusa most. So many legends surround the mystery of how and why Medusa came to be. I must have read too many , I couldn't decide which one to believe. On the other hand, Shelly is more convinced that Medusa begs our compassion. I am tempted to agree with her. So we murmured our way throughout the Basilica Cistern........... But just who is Medusa? An image of this [View Full Entry]

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It must be a disease.......... This niece of mine tops her entire generation when it comes to shopping. Her eyes would flit from stall to stall, her legs would carry her darting from store to store, her pockets were eternally wanting for replenishment. From Istanbul through Kusadaci through Denizli through Cappadocia through Ankara, it has been an endless journey of shopping for the best turquiose set of jewelry, or the best evil eye bracelet and keychain, or the best leather shoes or shirt for Shelly. I do shop too, but I'm not exactly a big fan of shopping till you [View Full Entry]

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Oh, I missed blogging about this stopover. On our way back to Istanbul, we did make this stopover . Not much to see, really, but the stories are good. The ancient kingdom of Phyrge and Gordioum, where legend claims Alexander the Great cut the proverbial Gordian Knot. A place where Gordious raised Midas , whose claim to fame, is his "Midas Touch". Midas, a peasant, who became King on the strength of an oracle proclaiming that the next King would be a man coming through the kingdom with a wagon. Yes, as simple as that. Perhaps it made sense then as [View Full Entry]

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This is certainly Ataturk country. Turkey may be the former seat of the Roman Empire in the East, known for many centuries as the Byzantine Empire, but today, a statue of Ataturk stands in every town and city in all of Turkey. This great reforming President was born Mustafa Kemal who adopted the surname Ataturk which means "Father of the Turks". There couldn't have been a more appropriate name. Ataturk ruled Turkey as President from 1923 until he died in 1938 at the Dolmabahce Palace. I have yet to meet a Turk who does not adore him. A debt of gratitude [View Full Entry]

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How does one prepare herself for Cappadocia? On our way to Goreme, we stopped by some souvenir shops and restaurants where posters and postcards of the rock chapels and fairy chimneys introduced us to this surreal landscape of capped pinnacles in warm reds and golden browns. Four hours across the Konya plain, passing the long Hasan mountain range, until we made another stop for what was more than just another glass of warm apple tea. We visited Marco Polo's pit stop along the Silk Road. The caravanserai at Sultanhani was built in the 13th century and is easily one of the [View Full Entry]

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I knew nothing about Sufism till a few months before this trip. The mystique of the Whirling Dervishes held nothing for me. I may have read , even watched docu-films about them, but none registered. It didn't help that the drive from Denizli to Konya took all of 6 hours across plains that were extremely flat and featureless. The only excitement was offered by a brief pitstop in Dinar's Apamelo Restaurant. We indulged ourselves by ordering a glass of freshly squeezed oranges and a plate of yoghurt laced with honey and hashish. Yes, hashish. By this time, we have acquired a [View Full Entry]

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So far, so good. Turkiye is not just about Istanbul for me now. Among the many other lovely images of Turkey is the cotton castles of Pamukkale, a natural wonder in the province of Denizli, just 3 hours drive from Kusadaci. The vision in my mind was supplied by all those poster images of gleaming white travertine pools, calcium-laden thermal waters spilling over cliffs like a frozen waterfall, and of tourists wading in the hot springs to heal some body ailments. Even before we arrived, I have been checking my camera and hoping that I could come up with really good [View Full Entry]

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From the Temple of Artemis to the Temple of Aphrodisias. Just a short drive from Ephesus , this ancient site was merely a stopover on our way to Pamukkale. Dedicated to the Goddess of love, Aphrodite, this Roman city southwest of the cotton castle is set in a glorious plain. Almost begging for attention, this destination was hardly expected to be a sacred site for historians and art lovers. All too often, the travel brochures on Turkey cite the ruins of Ephesus, the wondrous travertine pools of Pamukkale or the surreal landscape of Cappadocia. I admit I have not even come [View Full Entry]

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Once known as the capital of the Asian Province of the Roman Empire, Ephesus certainly did not disappoint as it was easily one of the most beautiful ancient sites. Frankly, I was really simply looking forward to the Library of Celsus. Most websites on Ephesus have this postcard-pretty photo of the ruins of the Library, and I truly thought it would be just that and a few more ruins, maybe a small amphitheater and that's it. Not so. The scale of the site is simply awesome. We entered through one of 2 gates. Magnesian Gate heads downhill, leaving the highlights for [View Full Entry]

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From our base in Tusan Hotel in Canakkale, we reached Troy in about 2 hours. Homer's legendary Troy or Truva does not offer much to see, but we spent a good time here to remember enough. A full scale mock-up of the Trojan horse welcomed us as we entered the site. Way past this mock-up horse, we found the legendary walls of Troy, allegedly the site of the Trojan War (circa 1200 B.C.). There is a school of thought claiming that Homeric Troy was not in Anatolya, but located either in England, Croatia, or even Scandinavia, but such was not accepted [View Full Entry]

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