Blogs from Turkey, Middle East - page 10

So what is the first rule of our travel life - avoid cities and rush hour! So how did we find ourselves now wending our way through Istanbul's rush hour traffic in the dark ?!?! Well the border crossing took a little longer with only a few cars infront but each seemed to have issue's with their paperwork. It has been a challenge to keep up with what each country requirements are but it appears we were more prepared than the few car's in front! Also we have now jumped another hour making it 3hrs ahead of the UK. So as we make our way through the traffic forwarned of Turkish driving I try to soothe Graeme through the chaos. Surprisingly the 2 lane carriageway becomes 3 with drivers using the bus/hard shoulder to manoeuvre themselves ... read more

Since getting back from our trip to Ephesus we have been staying busy in Marmaris. There seems to be plenty to keep us going with projects on the boat as well as a few outings into town to shop. Once we went in just to have a relaxing day with nothing specific to do but wander – what a treat! As I think I have mentioned before the Marmaris Yacht Marina where we are currently is not right in the town of Marmaris. We typically like to stay at places where we can easily walk into town, but this is not that kind of place. Fortunately, they have an excellent service by mini-bus that goes into town regularly. Well, it has changed some since getting here, but still is workable. In the beginning there were about ... read more

Heygo tour description Let's walk together on the Galata bridge from Karakoy neighborhood to former Constantinople!! On one side there will be Asia and on the other side European continents. The walk will be at the point where two continents meet and where the Silk Road ended. We will be facing the historic peninsula which couldn’t be shared through centuries and became the cause of many wars. We will see some of İstanbul’s highlights from the distance as Suleymaniye mosque ( 1550), New Mosque ( 1664), Galata Bridge, Istanbul fish sandwich boats, and street vendors. The walk will make you feel that you are touching the heart of Istanbul by watching the fishermen on the bridge, ferry traffic across the Bosporus and the Golden Horn, local rushing between bazaars and ferry piers, Istanbulies staying in ... read more

For those that have followed us over the years, you know that we enjoy exploring the country that we are in. With our birthday’s coming up we decided to plan a trip to Cappadocia, a place that had been highly recommended to us by many that have gone. First off, Cappadocia, is not a town, but a region in Turkey. It is a high plateau (1000 meters/3,280 ft) with hot dry summers and cold snowy winters so decided this was the perfect time to visit. Its name derives from the Hittite word “Katpatuka” which means land of the beautiful horses. When you do a search on Cappadocia you will see that the topography looks almost “out of this world” with what are called “fairy chimneys” scattered all over the area. This area was formed of soft ... read more

Yes, as Tsamaya is a sailboat, we were finally able to leave Fethiye and head toward her winter home f which will be at the Marmaris Yacht Marina. It isn’t that far away, but we decided with the weather forecast we could take a few days more in order to have a chance to anchor out and do a little exploring as well. We not only wanted to enjoy the pleasure of being on anchor for a few days, but with having new batteries Bob also wanted to check out how things were working while away from shore power for a few days. It turned out to be a great first day away from Fethiye, although we could have used a little more wind. We were able to get a sail out which was a great ... read more