http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Aegean/Ayvalik/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Middle East , Turkey , Aegean , Ayvalik en-us Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:21:25 BST Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:21:25 BST The trip from Foca to Ayvalic was mainly uneventful. Most of it on a very good modern highway.We didn't find a wireless connection in Ayvalic although to be honest we didn't look too hard. Ayvalic is serious relaxation. Well apart from the traffic which is terrifying. We finally found a place to park the car then a hotel where no English was spoken very good for my Turkish and my confiden http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Turkey/Aegean/Ayvalik/blog-328151.html Ars Gratia Vitae Homer and UsTaksiyarhis Pansiyon Ayval305k September 8thOh dear. I find myself among the scattered bones of Troy and not really certain either what to think or what I'm doing here. As the sun beats down on Troia II how these numbers make the city sound like Tracey Island I find what I take to be the nearest thing to the Scaean Gate and play a kind of sortes Homerica http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Turkey/Aegean/Ayvalik/blog-321605.html From Akcay it was a 50km gently rolling ride to the town of Ayvalik relatively quick but somewhat painful due to the level of traffic back on the big D550 highway. In Ayvalik we did a quick survey of intown accomodations but then decided to head out to Alibey Island a 10km ride across the harbor causeway from Ayvalik proper. After a pointless ride over the island's steep spine to the Lonely http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Turkey/Aegean/Ayvalik/blog-307013.html 16092007.We left Marmaris early to travel to Seluk. It was a fantastic journey that took us 305nto the mountains w305th great v305ews of the fertile plains below. Along the way there were roads305de stalls sell305ng what looked l305ke stuffed donkeys or goats not sure what that was aboutSeluk is a great little town full of Stork nests and ru305ns from Greek Roman Byzan http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Turkey/Aegean/Ayvalik/blog-204217.html See attached photos... http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Turkey/Aegean/Ayvalik/blog-204214.html Week 1Forest Baker and Annie KallusIstanbul ConcertClimbing Gallipoli BluffsFarmers near TroyPrayer call Blue MosqueRiding through goats Well we made it to Turkey. Our review of Turkish Airlines Good legroom poor service nice goodies Forest as witnessed in the photos below was rather enarmored with his matching turqouise socks eyecover and shoehorn. Everything you need to become a gay pira http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Turkey/Aegean/Ayvalik/blog-163620.html Now I know that I only updated my blog a couple of days ago and not that all that much has happened but what the heck.OK from having having a gale force head wind I rounded the corner at Edmerit and had a gale force tail wind. Normally I would consider this a boon and ofcourse I much prefer a tail wind to a head wind any ol' day but it still makes cycling on a dual carriageway kind of tough. http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Turkey/Aegean/Ayvalik/blog-71838.html I ended up really liking Ayvalik so I'm still here. I think I'll leave tomorrow and head down to Izmir. Note I still claim to be on my way to Canakkale even though I'm heading south instead of north.My first daytime assault on Cunda failed miserably as I realized I was getting sick as soon as I arrived and after a short facesaving walk around the town I was forced to head back and spend the http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Turkey/Aegean/Ayvalik/blog-1626.html Ayvalik. An inseperable part of the Turkish national homeland. Signs all over point out that it was here that the first military resistance was formed against the advancing Greeks back in 1919. I daresay I'm a bit puzzled. By all indications this was as Greek a town as any in western Anatolia. I spent all day walking down the quiet narrow alleys among unmistakably Greek houses spotting t http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Turkey/Aegean/Ayvalik/blog-1541.html Finally made it to Ayvalik. I don't have my card reader with me so the pictures will be uploaded asynchronously.The road here was interesting. I took a minibus from Bergama to Chandarli a small vacation town on the coast slightly south and west of Bergama checked out the Genoese fortress there and got many giggles from a group of 45 teenage girls. I swear if I could only get 110th of http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Turkey/Aegean/Ayvalik/blog-1532.html