Turkiye

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About time I got the chance to write one of these!!! It isnt easy to type on these computers either as the keyboards have Turkish Alphabet and are back to front so dont expect any decent puncuation!!!
So my trip started off with a couple of nights in Istanbul. We stayed in a really touristy back-packer area but it was still cool. The first experience in a car with a Turkish driver was interesting. I felt like I was in a rally car he was going that fast!! We ended up just going out for dinner the first night at a cafe we stumbled upon in one of the back streets near our hostel. We weren't all that sure of what we orcered, but I now know that it was Turkish pizza or pide as it is known here.
The next morning we visited the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia and we were supposed to go on a boat cruise but we ended up getting lost, which was probably a good thing as we met Renee from New Zealand who was going to be doing the Istanbul to Cairo trip with us. We also befriended a Canadian and an American and ended up going for lunch then headed into the Grand Bazaar. I didn't buy much except a necklace which I ended getting down to 10 Turkish Lira after bartering with the guy who owned the shop. Ok, it was orignally 15 so not a great achievement, but better than nothing!
The following day we ended up taking the boat cruise we missed the day before and we were able to see a lot of Istanbul that way. Later on we met up with Renee and Nic the Canadian and also met Richard who is Irish, that would also be on our 35 day trip.
We went to a Turkish cafe and Renee and I ate Turkish Viagra while the boys pigged out on Donners and Kebabs. After that we went to a hostel next to ours that had a better bar and drank and danced before heading to Taxim Square to see what the night life in Istanbul was like.
On the Saturday evening we met up with the whole tour group for dinner and had our first glimpse of our travel vehicle for the trip. A massive Yellow truck. The seats are lined either side of the truck so that when we sit we face inwards to each other. There is also a little area that we call The Beach which has a roof that opens up and matresses to lay on. The truck is really cool because you can sit up on the seats and hand out the windows. When we drive through towns we often get waves from the locals which is really cool.
I will tell you a littel about the group too: there is myself and Renee, and we decided to make it easy and not confusing with our names that we would be known as Ren and Stimpy. Guess who got stuck with Stimpy?? Anyway, people usually end up calling us both Ren.
There is Bree and Forina, who are housemates, both Australian and great girls who love Napolean Dynamite like me. Barbara is a German girl who dances like Elaine off of Seinfeld, Nicole from Australia who has pretty much travelled everywhere in the world, and Sarah from New Zealand who is married to the only English person on our tour, Ian . There are four Aussie guys, Coxy, Wortsy, Jonno and Nugget who are the dominating bunch of the tour, which is funny cos they also bitch more than the girls do! There is Staffy from Ireland who we met in Istanbul, David from Sydney who is one of the quiet guys who comes out with the best one liners!!! Brad who is a bit of a geek but then again he is from Tasmania and then Luke. I think that is everyone.
Anyway, we camped for the night before heading on our way to a camping ground near Gallipoli. When I say camping ground I mean a dump. We were camped outside a dingy little bar next to the ocean that had rubbish floating in it. . Not the most pleasant stop, but the tour around Gallipoli and Anzac Cove the following day made up for it.
The next day we crossed the straits of the Dardanelles to the Asian side of Turkey to head to Troy. Not the most impressive of ruins, but atleast I can say I have been there. That night we found a really nice camping spot out in the bush, cooked baked potatoes, drank and watch the Aussie blokes shave their hair into Mohawks.
In the morning we travelled to Selcuk, a nice small town where we stayed in a nice hotel. Renee and I wandered around the town for a little bit and tried out some Turkish Delight before joining the rest of the group at a local pub. After a yummy Turksih dinner we all went out drinking with the locals. A very interesting evening that involved the boys buying a chicken from a local and singing along to songs they had no understaning of. We all paid for the night of booze in the morning when we were hung over trying to listen to a tour guide in the ancient ruins of Ephesus.
Ephesus was amazing! One of the best ruins I have seen on tour so far. I couldn't get over the size of the place! They have pretty much excavated a whole city and we were able to walk through the streets of Ephesus that were still in tact.
That night we drove for a few hours to get to th Lake Koycegiz area, where we stayed in a really chilled out hotel and lounged around in hammocks before going on a boat cruise across the lake to experience Turkish mud baths and hot springs. Before you get jealous let me explain the smell.....Rotten eggs! I was dry reaching the first ten minutes as I floated around in murky water that had bits floating around in it that closely resembled poo. The hot spring was just a teeny bit nicer, but I still could't escape the stench. It was good to get back to the hotel for a shower!
The following day we were on our way to Oludeniz, a very touristy beach side resort town. We stayed in our tents again but were close to the beach and a lagoon out the back of our camp site. We swam for a little bit there before heading to the main beach which was absolutely lush. It was a pebble beach with clear turqoise water. That night we went out to a local bar and drank, I even took on the role of the door bitch after a few drinks, and the Turkish guy was impressed with my work as I ushered people into the bar. You should have seen the look on the faces of some young English girls and boys who I demanded ID from, and their relief when I told them I was kidding.
The following day we had the chance to go on an all day boat cruise around the med, the surrounding beaches, and spent the day swimming in beautiful pools of water. I got fried and looked like a lobster for a couple of days but it was worth it! For only 15 Turksih Lira we were on the boat from 11am til 6pm, provided with lunch and there was even a water slide.
Saklikent Gorge was the next destination, where we floated and paddled down a river rapid and had mud fights in the natural mud baths along the way. That night we slept by the river side on platforms, which was an unusual, but very cool experience.
The next day we drove to Olympus, which was a little dull. We stayed in tree houses, and visited the Eternal flames, Chimeras, where they light the olympic flame from. Other than that there wasn't much else to see there.
Yesterday was a long 12 hour drive here to Goreme, Capadoccia which is more inland. We were really starting to feel the heat as we moved away from driving along side the coast. The scenery here is unbelievable. The landscape was formed by volanic eruptions and the people carved out houses and churches in the rocky hillside.
This morning I got up at 4:30am to go on a Hot Air Balloon Flight!! It was amazing, and although I was clinging to the side for the first ten minutes, it was a very smooth ride, manouvering in and out of the valleys and the hill side villages.
Today we are off on a tour of the city, I believe part of it is underground which should be really cool and then we have a big Turkish party night tonight, with Belly dancing, whirling dervishes and all the alcohol we can drink. I will be a reck in the morning!!
So far Turkey has been very very cool. The Turkish people are very accomodating and although the men stare, they are very nice and willing to help out, and they love it when you say hello or Merhaba to them. Turkish food is very nice, although we are all not to keen on their breakfasts of tomato, cucumber, boiled egg, fettah cheese and olives. We are all very much looking forward to a fry up tomorrow.
Anyway, that's all I have time for now so I will try to write again soon!!!
x x
Renee

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Photos

Istanbul
View from roof of Sultan Hostel

Istanbul
Hagia Sofia

Istanbul
Me in front of the Blue Mosque

Istanbul
Me, Renee, Luke and Staffy

Istanbul
View of Istanbul

Gallipoli
Anzac Cove memorial

Selcuck
The Ancient Ruins of Ephesus

Selcuck
The main road leading to the Library of Ephesus

Selcuck
The theatre in Ephesus

Long Drives
The inside of our Overland Oasis Truck

Long Drives
The inside of our Overland Oasis Truck

Oludenez
The main beach

Saklikent Gorge
This was the view we had sitting on platforms near the river

Saklikent Gorge
Sitting by the river for dinner, later we slept on the platforms

Goreme
Overlooking Cappadocia

Cappadocia
Picture taken from the hot air balloon of other ballons in the sky.

Cappadocia
This is how close another balloon got to ours!!!

Cappadocia
Me on the balloon

Cappadocia
This is how far up I went

Cappadocia
Many other balloons in the air