Paule

Turkey trip <BR>Istanbul <BR> <BR>We loved Turkey; our trip was wonderful and the Turkish people are some of the warmest and most welcoming people we’ve met anywhere. We were on the Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul to NYC when the attacks in NYC and Washington occurred; the country’s graciousness and hospitality can only be exemplified by the airline, who put us up at the Polat Renaissance Hotel for 4 nights until we were able to return to the US. <BR> <BR>Our Planned trip <BR>*Istanbul: 4 nights at the beginning, 2 nights at the end: <BR>Our hotel was the Mavi Ev(Blue House), which we loved. The location was great; our first room had a wonderful view of the Blue Mosque, which was just a short walk from the hotel. <BR>We visited many of the major sights as well as some lesser-known ones in Istanbul, most of which are in Sultanahmet and are walking distance from each other. <BR>Primary Sights: Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Aya Sofya, Hippodrome, Yerebatan Saray (Underground Cistern), Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar, Suleymaniye (mosque), Chora Church, Archeology Museum, Galata Tower &Taksim, <BR>2ndary sights/activities: Bosphorus cruise, Dolmabahce Palace, Pierre Loti Cafe, Rustem Pasa Cami & Sokollu Mehmet Pasa, Mosaic Museum, taking the ferry to the Asian side and walking around a neighborhood, taking a hamam, shopping at the Arasta Bazaar, seeing the Gates of the City and the old walls. <BR> <BR>We enjoyed it all; some of the surprises, though, are the smaller mosques (beautiful and intimate); the Mosaic Museum (a small gem); taking the ferry up the Bosphorus and getting to the overlook of the Bosphorus and the Black Sea; the magic of seeing the Aya Sofya, with all its layers of history. <BR> <BR>Prepare for the onslaught of the carpet dealers. They are everywhere and overwhelming; it’s not dangerous at all, but exhausting to deal with. We found it easier to develop a sense of humor and a banter, and over time, it didn’t bother us as much. <BR> <BR>Favorite Istanbul restaurant: Daruzziyafe, opposite the Suleymaniye entrance. Excellent food, beautiful atmosphere. <BR>Disappointment: Sarnic, overpriced bland food in a dramatic setting of an underground cistern. Mavi Ev’s food was good, not great, but the setting on the rooftop is lovely. <BR> <BR>Favorite food discoveries: lahmacun, a flat, thin bread with ground meat on it. Try it in the modest cafe/restaurant outside the entrance to the Sirkeci Train Station. <BR>Lokum (turkish delight); zillions of flavors, and most are good. Of course, drink LOTS of cay (tea) and elma cayi (apple tea). I also liked visne (sour cherry juice) very much. As others have said, the rice and the yogurt are wonderfully flavorful; and kebabs of all kinds, and eggplant dishes (imam bayaldi!), and the cheeses....well, you’ll all find your favorite flavors, but these are a few of ours. <BR> <BR>Favorite overall guidebook: Lonely Planet. Information and suggestions was accurate (and I’m not on a student budget!). <BR>As a second, I think Fodor’s is good. I had Frommer’s with me, which I found less useful when on the road.

Paule

Cappadocia <BR> <BR>There is no place on earth like Cappadocia: the strange, spectacular landscape and the rural nature of the region combine in an experience that is scenic and very intimate, especially if you spend time in one of the smaller towns. <BR> <BR>We stayed 5 nights in the Gamirasu Hotel in Ayvali on the recommendation of our guide, Suleyman. It’s hard to even begin to describe being here without mentioning that this town is truly one of the smallest towns I’ve ever been in and there is only the one hotel in town. But it’s as far away from urban life as many of us have ever been, and if you really want to experience Turkey and have a less-traditional tourist experience, I truly recommend the place. <BR>The hotel is a charming cave hotel, and they include homecooked dinners as well as wonderful breakfasts, which are served on the outside terrace. There is also a beautiful rose garden, which is nurtured lovingly. The small staff are warm and welcoming, and try very hard to make everyone comfortable. I am truly fond of the place and the people I met there. A small stream opposite the hotel flows in a valley made up of the amazing cave dwellings like the ones seen throughout Cappadocia; however, there are no tourist crowds here. But it’s the town and its people that make staying here even more special. You walk through the town, and all the kids come running up, saying “Hello, hello!” The men at the cafe invite you to tea-- and the women make you sit down and “talk” to them, right there in the street where they sit. Without any doubt, staying in this town and visiting Cappadocia was the highlight of our trip. <BR> <BR>We spent 2 full days with Suleyman, who was a wonderful guide, a real pleasure to be with. He’s warm and intelligent, and was very intuitive about what we would be interested in. He took us to the main sights and many lesser known places, and we would stop and speak to people at times along the way. <BR>Sights: We started in the local Gomeda Valley; in small scale, it has everything that Cappadocia has to offer-- but no tourists! It has the rock caves, the “fairy castles”, and a sweet Byzantine cave church. We visited the Goreme Open Air Museum, the world site of Byzantine cave churches; many tourists, but wonderful to see. And we saw Avanos, the pottery town; and Pasabagi, the “Fairy Castles”-- again, awesome sights. We stopped at several amazing overlooks, and ended the day at Uchisar, a Byzantine “castle” carved out of rock that sits on top of a hill. From there, the views were spectactular. <BR>On our second day, we headed toward Kaymakli, one of the ancient underground cities that are sprinkled throughout the region. On the way, we saw 2 women baking something in an outside oven or kiln-- something that would’ve been seen a long time ago, too. Our next main destination was the Soganli Valley, another less touristed valley but with a good walk through a now-declared park with some painted rock churches and rock formations. <BR>We also had many small stops along the way (the ruins of a caravanseray, more painted churches, a Seljuk facade). <BR>HIGHLY RECOMMENDED GUIDE FOR CAPPADOCIA <BR>Süleyman Çakir <BR>[email protected] <BR>www.cappadociatours.com

Paule

Konya <BR>Our original plan didn’t include Konya, but we ended up making a 1-day stop there. We were glad we did. Konya is no traditional tourist town, but a holy place for Muslims. It’s the center where the where the great mystic Rumi lived and where the whirling dervishes originated. The Hotel Balikcilar is one of the better hotels in town (and one of the few places to serve alcohol). Though the rooms are dated and slightly worn, it’s very clean and comfortable and the a/c works well. There is a top floor restaurant where an excellent breakfast is also served. There were no “traditonal” tourists when we were there, but a number of families, with women traditionally dressed. Our window, with small balcony, overlooked the Camii and the Mevlana Muzesi, the primary reason to visit this town. <BR>We also bought a kilim at Karavan, one of the reputable shops (we were told by several people) in town. Konya is a center for kilims, so we felt that it was a good place to buy. <BR> <BR>Coastal Turkey <BR>We drove to the coast, where we stayed for 3 nights in Kalkan, then picked up a small boat (previously arranged) to explore from the water. Kalkan is a pretty town, but at the end of August, we found it very crowded. We stayed in the Villa Mahal, a styilish resort overlooking the Mediterranean. It is beautiful, and the room we stayed in (we got upgraded) was sparingly elegant, and the views were beautiful. The walk up and down the 202 steps to the Mediterranean was quite a workout, but the sea was lovely. I have to admit, though, that after the intimacy of Cappadocia, the intensity of Konya, I had a hard time with the cultural transition to a resort lifestyle. <BR>From Kalkan, we toured by car, and stopped to see Xanthos, Letoon, Patara ruins and beach one day. The next day, we saw Tlos and Saklikent Gorge (a good place to escape the heat). <BR>In Kalkan, our best meal was at Zeki’s. If you want to shop for a carpet there, a really good store is Orientalia (2 locations in town). <BR> <BR>We arranged for a small boat through a French company, Passion, out of Rhodes. The boat, the Mayero, was sailed by a former French marine and his English wife. We enjoyed the trip, but 5 days was too long in a small boat. We explored the wonderful ruins around Kekova and swam in many coves; a bad wind storm and changes in the original itinerary kept us more grounded than we planned. <BR>

Paule

Selcuk & environs <BR>We then drove to Selcuk, where we stayed in Hotel Kalehan, a gem of a hotel on the edge of town. A small and plain but very comfortable room, excellent airconditioning (not all rooms have a/c; make sure you request it if you want it), wonderful service by the management and staff, comfortable restaurant on premises and a good breakfast is served there, too. <BR> <BR>We spent 3 nights in Selcuk, and found it a very pleasant town to base ourselves in. It’s enough away from the coast to lose the taint of the resort crowd; and yet there’s plenty to keep a tourist occupied. <BR> <BR>Ephesus, of course, was first on the agenda. We were there by 9:30am, arriving at the normal “exit” gate. It worked out in our favor, because we saw that side of the ruins without the tour groups. And the tour groups were out in force; it was crowded, and hard to really experience the site with the number of people there. Still, it is impressive to see, crowds or no crowds. <BR> <BR>We also stopped at the Artemision, the remains of what once was the great temple to Artemis that was one of the wonders of the world. All that exists now is a piece of one of the columns, and one needs a lot of imagination to “see” the great temple; but seeing just that piece was enough for my husband and me. <BR>In town, we stopped at the Isa Bey Camii (post-Seljuk, but reminiscent of the earlier buildings we’d seen) and the St. John Basilica. St. John was said to have come to Selcuk at the end of his life; the basilica is build where he was buried. <BR> <BR>Another must-see in Selcuk is the Ephesus Muzesi (museum); filled with many significant pieces and presented in attractive displays. <BR> <BR>Later that afternoon, we drove to Sirince, the former Greek town which had its population exchanged in 1924. It’s a pretty town in the hills, but it’s also an intense tourist shopping center. It’s worth a drive only if you have extra time, but we found it less charming than we expected it to be. Another stop was the Merymena, the Virgin Mary’s supposed final home. The drive through the hills was spectacular; the home not as interesting, but it’s not of religious significance to me. <BR> <BR>During dinner, we heard a drum and horn and then saw a parade of men, dressed in past military costumes. They stopped nearby, and began performing some kind of ritualistic martial-style dance. We found out later that this was in preparation for a celebration of Selcuk’s anniversary of becoming Turkish the next day. <BR> <BR>After dinner, we strolled to the main square, where we watched while these same men sat in a large circle, while a few got up to perform these “dances”. It was wonderful to see, and exciting because it was being done for each other, not for a formal performance or for tourists. <BR> <BR>Dinner: Tat restaurant, recommended by Lonely Planet. Good food, friendly service, excellent place! Our dinner came to about 13-14 million TL with tip. <BR>

Paule

<BR>Selcuk/day 2 <BR>We began the day at the town center, where people were gathering for the morning ceremony commemorating the anniversary. Again, we saw the dancers and musicians of the night before, and many other groups: young and old, many dressed in formal costume. <BR>It was Saturday, so the weekly market was taking place; a large and vibrant market behind the bus station. <BR> <BR>We made the tour of the 3 sites in the region that are usually grouped together: Didyma, Miletus and Priene. Though it was the furthest, Didyma was worth the ride. A magnificent site, a grand temple to Apollo, with impressive columns, some still standing. And few tourists for company. <BR>Next stop was Miletus, and we both found it unappealing. The ruins are very spread out, and many of them are not in good shape. It was interesting to see the scope of the town, but not so easy to walk around because of its size. <BR>The last stop, Priene. We drove through a lovely plain, past the Menderes River (or, the Meander -- and now you’ll understand the meaning of that word!) And then up, into the hills; the siting is spectacular, with the steep and rocky Mt. Mykale behind the town, and the plains spread out in front of it, this Hellenistic town is built into the side of the hill as well. Some of the ruins were not accessible, but those that were gave a good sense of place. The Temple of Athena, between the mountain and the plains, a remarkable sight. And the theater, too, very charming and intimate. <BR> <BR>After the crowds at Ephesus, these sites were surprisingly quiet which made it all-the-more pleasurable to visit. <BR> <BR>------- <BR>We flew from Izmir to Istanbul, where we stayed for a few more days. And, as you all know by now, we were in the air, flying from Istanbul to NYC on September 11, when the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon occurred. We were returned to Istanbul, where Turkish Airlines put us up at the Polat Renaissance hotel for 4 nights. Despite the horrors of this tragedy, we felt a tremendous outpouring of concern by the airline staff, the hotel, and the people that we met in the street. <BR>

Susan

What a great trip report! We plan to go back to Turkey (probably in 2002). We had seen only a small area last time (along the Mediterranean), so I'll be sure to keep a copy of your notes when I start to plan. Thanks.

Jan

Ditto!!! <BR>Great trip report - we are off to istanbul in a couple of weeks and will take note of what you have said. <BR>Thanks <BR>Jan

Paule

Enjoyed your report, did you rent a car? We took a tour of Turkey in June but want to go back and do it independently. Thanks for all of the great information.

Paule

We rented a car twice: first, from Cappadocia to the coast, where we stayed for 3 days before picking up a boat. After the boat, we picked up a car for 3 days, driving to Selcuk and exploring the region. <BR>I'm happy to answer any questions anyone has. <BR>Paule

Mary

Hi Paule, thanks for your trip report. It was great. We spent 2 weeks there in June. I really want to go back when things at home calm down. The people were the nicest I've ever met on my travels anywhere, so since you had to be stranded somewhere due to the events here on 9-11, I guess you can consider yourselves lucky it was Turkey. Even if they're not all happy with U.S policy, they sure are nice to all people.

Paule

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Kathy

Also highly recommend the Hotel Kalehan in Selcuk as a great base for several days. I stayed there in November 2001 and was thoroughly delighted with this hotel.

Rana & Ed Bertolotti

We just got back from Turkey and had a fantastic time. We loved Cappadocia and Suleyman was really wonderful. His english is perfect and he's very knowledgeable about the area & its' history, and he's very nice. We all loved him (there were 9 of us!)... <BR>You may contact him at : www.cappadociatours.com and e-mail: [email protected] <BR> <BR>We also loved the Gamirasu - we couldn't believe our good fortune. I assume you'll be taking one of the late evening flights from Istanbul. I don't want to give away anything, but don't be worried on the way there - it's a jewel. <BR>We were there for 3 nights (only 2 full days). 4 days is good. If you don't mind getting up at 3:30 in the morning the hot air balloon ride was a lot of fun. <BR>I think you have plenty of time in Istanbul for the Sultanahmet section. I recommend Sunday brunch at the Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel and a drink at the Pera Palas Hotel. Dinner at Beyti's in Florya (a section of Istanbul, close to the airport) was really good. <BR>Re. Blue House Hotel, we only had dinner there (for the view from the terrace), it looks like a nice place. We stayed at the Dersaadet and it was O.K. (we'll try a different one next time). We've also stayed at the Alzer (across from the Hippodrome) and that was also O.K. I think they were both a lot cheaper than the Blue House.<BR>Just some advice: always ask a cab driver how much before you get in. <BR>I hope you have a great time, and feel free to contact me again (also let me know how your trip was). Today is my second day back at work, yuk. Gotta go,<BR>