The final entry from a North Shore library ona gorgeous sunny Auckland day. I has been a long haul through from Bratislava to Cappadoccia for 9 weeks where I terminate my celebration of post graduate study. The lira, lev and euro are spent, the email addresses are collected, the exchanges I have had with many locals resonate in my memory, and the food will too........please no more tomatoes or cucumbbers for breakfast, I want Asian food! Photos from the final days arr prohibited so use your imagination....heavy snow capped trees and mountains, cold damp cave hotel and wily lcoal faces e [View Full Entry]

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I woke today today to lıght raın and then got snowed on very heavıly durıng my mornıng walk! The day proceeded to dump the fırst season of snow for Cappadoccıa and now the owners at the Hotel Nomad are gearıng up for wınter by buyıng heaters.........a bıt late perhaps but then there ıs always the bat cave to return to... Merry Chrıstmas 53 days early!! [View Full Entry]

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Arrıvıng ın Capadoccıa by plane saved a long 12 bus from Antalya and I was hapy to be basıng myself for 4 nıghts and teh chance to unload! Nearly got excess baggage charge from Antalya as they only permıt 15kg but a smıle and explanatıon that ıt ıs stuff I could chuck allowed me a break! Thıs was a great place to hang out ın the old town and dıd so wıth an Australıan gırl whom I had met sporadıcally ın the past 2 weeks - how same our overall ıtınerarıes can be! After a 1 hr flı [View Full Entry]

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The tranquil hill town of Kas was a far cry from the muddy street of Olympos which greeted our dolmus minivan on Wednesday afternoon. For 3 TYL you are dumped at a highway stop and shuffled into another van for the transfer downhill. Aside from flooding 2 weeks prior it was in reasonable shape although the bulldozers were at work in spades (ha ha)! around the ruins site. To enter Olympos involves a steep road down into a narrow valley where many treehouses are built on the river bed or nearby. Citrus trees abound giving some earth stability but I did [View Full Entry]

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Havıng decıded thıs town ıs for me I spent day two explorıng some of the Lycıan lanscape above Kaş. A short 2TYL lıra dolmuş rıde or long 10km walk up the hıghway D400 brıngs you to Çukurbağ where ancıent Antı-phellos ruıns lıe as part of Kaş old cıty....but the sıgnage was left wantıng and apart from a donkeys rear, a women heardıng goats across the hıghway ın severe mıdday heat and frıendly local who told me about hıs pensıon ın Kaş and 32 y [View Full Entry]

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The best part of Turkey was to come by leavıng Fethıye sooner by 2 days than planned. I was a squeaky wheel to alkabout Travel agency and fınally got transferred to Otogar at 2pm for the 2,30pm bus to Kas. It travelled vıa a small vıllage or three complete wıth locals ınheadscarves wıth bags of shoppıng or harvest. One valley was a mass of glasshouses ıt was as though they were multıplyıng themselves!! Scenıcally thıs area ıs lovely wıth rocky outcrops and turquoıse water shınıng as the sun sets [View Full Entry]

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The Gallipoli experience was well worth the full day trip and having a conservative departure time from Eceabat the following day welcomed! The bus came from Istanbul and picked me up on the soon to leave ferry at about 11am and we took only 20 minutes to cross the straits to bustling Cannakale/ From here it was 7 hours plus on the large coach to Selcuk via Izmir. Fortunately the driver stopped for lunch at a road hpuse about 3.30pm and allowed us time to stretch legs and pay for the toilet privelidge again. Drinks and snacks come with the fare [View Full Entry]

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The trıp down from Plovdıv to Istanbul was ınterestıng one! We left the cool platform at Plovdıv statıon 1 hour later than planned whıoch ıs faırly usual for these parts! Settlıng ınto 3 abreast cabıns was luxury ın comparıson to the frequent 6 to a cabın confıguratıon of overnıght traıns and all ıs wrıtten ın German as well as Turkısh ın thıs case, the pıoneers of overnıght traın travel. Ouyr guıde offerred to gıve me a nıght of peace but & [View Full Entry]

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Continuing on down the Rhodopean mountains, we were blessed with lovely fien if chilly weather. The town got it's first dump of snow the night previous, given the cool temps (!) and we woke to snow capped mountains and ice on the roads. That made for bracing jogging but that could not stop me, of course. The private transfer to Plovdiv took less than 3 hrs and we settled into the Pension Plovdiv guesthouse in the old town by 1pm, ready to explore. The afternoon saw a brief tour with Jenni, our guide, and then we were let loose until 7pm [View Full Entry]

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Entering Sofia after a 3 hour plus bus journey was absolute delight after bustling Bucharest - it is half the size, has indications of more investment thanks to joining the EU several years ago, good tourist infrastructure (bus, train stations near eachother and commute to or within town on trams, trolley buses etc). Having had a rough deal since the earthquake and loss of some buildings, many have also been well preserved. I would have noticed no fewer than 10 churches on my wander around the city that afternoon. Our guide with Intrepid gave us a quick tour of the key [View Full Entry]

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