Turkey: Ottoman Odyssey . . . aka “It’s just a Jumble of Rocks”
May 23rd, 2011, 05:13 AM
#21
Day 12
Additional note from Day 11: Wine was Turasan’s Öküzgözü Bogazkere 2008. Overall, I was very impressed with the quality of the wines from Anatolia & Cappadocia. Restaurant prices varied wildly but good bottles were 40TL to 70TL.
I hate to admit it, but after three days, the weird rock formations almost get boring. Or at the very least you get so used to them that they are ‘just another rock formation’. After a brief but violent early morning rain storm, the balloons were grounded & no one flew. As I mentioned earlier, fly as soon as you can in case the weather forces a no fly day or two. I went for a wander in the formations that I had been staring at for three days from our balcony. Very, very peaceful place.
Today we slummed until 11AM when we scheduled to go on a private tour to the underground city of Kaymakli, that we had arranged with Heritage Travel – just a few steps from the Kelebek. 40€ each with a van + driver + English-speaking guide. My wife has a potential claustrophobic thing happening so we decided to go with a guide. We could have gone on our own via bus with one transfer but . . . And besides, we got a free Kayseri airport transfer if we booked balloon + tour with them so it was easy to justify. And you will never guess who the guide was. Yes, you got it . . . Mustafa. He is a very personable jack of all trades & we really enjoyed our time with him. The underground city at Kaymakli was pretty tame after all of the buildup, but we saw it.
Aaaiiiieee. There is that scream again. And that can only mean more Turkish carpet shopping. Yes, one of Mustafa’s past trades was driving around swaths of the US with his partner Ali & a van full of Turkish carpets. Not the Ali of Kelebek fame, but the one who is still Mustafa’s partner in Sultan Carpets whose business card can be found conveniently in the Kelebek area info desk. And guess what? It is a no-haggle because the-price-is-the-price Turkish carpet store. And Kelebek guests get a 10% discount!
You can see where this is going, right? Yeah. As it turns out, my wife really, really wanted to come home with some Turkish carpets – kilims, sumaks or whatever – to use as mats in our newly renovated bathroom. I know Turkish carpets are a bit extravagant to use as bath mats but after spending north of 10K already, what is a few hundred more? Well, how about $450 CDN more? Ali was smooth & as honest as a sales guy can ever be – I am one so I know. He had the right size & he had the right color. We didn’t want red, and that ruled out 95% of the carpets on offer. We bought.
Note: In Turkey you will be besieged by carpet salesmen everywhere you go. You can have a lot of fun trading quips with the sidewalk hawkers, so enjoy the experience. Some carpet stores are non-negotiable with set prices but most are of the let’s-make-a-deal variety. Also be aware that nothing has a price until you like it & then they check with the owner or in a book & give you a number. We had price checked in Istanbul & Selçuk so we knew the ballparks. We didn’t get a bargain but we didn’t get hosed, either. Do some research before you leave home & you can get some nice buys.
Ali also recommended lunch at the Nazar Börek Café next door. It was the best lunch we had in all of Turkey. Their baked or fried pastries filled with meat were scrumptious. Only six tables so get it to go if they are full. My wife had a baked Nazar sosyete bõreḡi & I had the fried lamb-filled sigara bõreḡi. 17.50TL for both. Yum.
After some more r & r & chatter with other travellers – it was cool & breezy so we huddled in backpacker’s corner - we went to the Orient Restaurant for dinner. Well, this was the worst meal we had in all of Turkey. This empty restaurant is #7 on TA & listed in all of the guides but it has obviously seen better culinary days. You have been warned.
And I would be remiss if I didn’t include a comment about our biggest complaint about the Kelebek Cave Hotel. As my wife said, it was obviously designed by a man. Our shower area was floored with large pebbles that were not nice on the feet. What were they thinking? I know. That is not a very big complaint . . .
Göreme pictures: http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...Turkey/Goreme/
Ian
Additional note from Day 11: Wine was Turasan’s Öküzgözü Bogazkere 2008. Overall, I was very impressed with the quality of the wines from Anatolia & Cappadocia. Restaurant prices varied wildly but good bottles were 40TL to 70TL.
I hate to admit it, but after three days, the weird rock formations almost get boring. Or at the very least you get so used to them that they are ‘just another rock formation’. After a brief but violent early morning rain storm, the balloons were grounded & no one flew. As I mentioned earlier, fly as soon as you can in case the weather forces a no fly day or two. I went for a wander in the formations that I had been staring at for three days from our balcony. Very, very peaceful place.
Today we slummed until 11AM when we scheduled to go on a private tour to the underground city of Kaymakli, that we had arranged with Heritage Travel – just a few steps from the Kelebek. 40€ each with a van + driver + English-speaking guide. My wife has a potential claustrophobic thing happening so we decided to go with a guide. We could have gone on our own via bus with one transfer but . . . And besides, we got a free Kayseri airport transfer if we booked balloon + tour with them so it was easy to justify. And you will never guess who the guide was. Yes, you got it . . . Mustafa. He is a very personable jack of all trades & we really enjoyed our time with him. The underground city at Kaymakli was pretty tame after all of the buildup, but we saw it.
Aaaiiiieee. There is that scream again. And that can only mean more Turkish carpet shopping. Yes, one of Mustafa’s past trades was driving around swaths of the US with his partner Ali & a van full of Turkish carpets. Not the Ali of Kelebek fame, but the one who is still Mustafa’s partner in Sultan Carpets whose business card can be found conveniently in the Kelebek area info desk. And guess what? It is a no-haggle because the-price-is-the-price Turkish carpet store. And Kelebek guests get a 10% discount!
You can see where this is going, right? Yeah. As it turns out, my wife really, really wanted to come home with some Turkish carpets – kilims, sumaks or whatever – to use as mats in our newly renovated bathroom. I know Turkish carpets are a bit extravagant to use as bath mats but after spending north of 10K already, what is a few hundred more? Well, how about $450 CDN more? Ali was smooth & as honest as a sales guy can ever be – I am one so I know. He had the right size & he had the right color. We didn’t want red, and that ruled out 95% of the carpets on offer. We bought.
Note: In Turkey you will be besieged by carpet salesmen everywhere you go. You can have a lot of fun trading quips with the sidewalk hawkers, so enjoy the experience. Some carpet stores are non-negotiable with set prices but most are of the let’s-make-a-deal variety. Also be aware that nothing has a price until you like it & then they check with the owner or in a book & give you a number. We had price checked in Istanbul & Selçuk so we knew the ballparks. We didn’t get a bargain but we didn’t get hosed, either. Do some research before you leave home & you can get some nice buys.
Ali also recommended lunch at the Nazar Börek Café next door. It was the best lunch we had in all of Turkey. Their baked or fried pastries filled with meat were scrumptious. Only six tables so get it to go if they are full. My wife had a baked Nazar sosyete bõreḡi & I had the fried lamb-filled sigara bõreḡi. 17.50TL for both. Yum.
After some more r & r & chatter with other travellers – it was cool & breezy so we huddled in backpacker’s corner - we went to the Orient Restaurant for dinner. Well, this was the worst meal we had in all of Turkey. This empty restaurant is #7 on TA & listed in all of the guides but it has obviously seen better culinary days. You have been warned.
And I would be remiss if I didn’t include a comment about our biggest complaint about the Kelebek Cave Hotel. As my wife said, it was obviously designed by a man. Our shower area was floored with large pebbles that were not nice on the feet. What were they thinking? I know. That is not a very big complaint . . .
Göreme pictures: http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...Turkey/Goreme/
Ian
May 23rd, 2011, 01:14 PM
#22
Day 13
This was the last leg of our journey. A return to mad Istanbul for three nights after the relative peace & tranquility of Anatolia & Cappadocia. We had a few sites left to see & I had promised some bazaar shopping.
Without a doubt, Cappadocia – and in particular Göreme – was one of those great destinations for us. The physical beauty of the topography is impossible to describe & photos don’t do it justice. Göreme is in the throes of transforming itself from a lazy backpacker’s secret to a deluxe destination. We loved it. But we would never go back again because that would spoil the magic.
Our shuttle to Kayseri went without a hitch although a no-show in anonymous Avanos – seemingly a tour bus hotel area – did squeeze the time a bit. But we got through the dual securities & boarding pass line up for our last internal flight to Istanbul (SAW). The last of 6 flights! All were on time & all were very efficient – except for the cancelled flight.
Once again, the Backpacker’s rep was waiting & guided us easily to our van. The drive in from Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) was not without incident unfortunately. Just after a major traffic crunch for the north bridge exit, we were the first arrivals at a nasty accident. A car had slammed into a frontend loader parked on the side of the highway around a slight bend. Our driver got out & rendered assistance as a crowd gathered as other motorists pulled over. A cop arrived & supplied orange cones. Further along, another traffic crunch occurred just before the bridge. This was obviously a near-permanent fixture with vendors walking between the cars selling water & food. On the bridge our driver commented that there was very little traffic heading east & after a collection of police cars on the side halfway across he said: jumper. We finally got to the Zoe (again & penthouse #401 again) in Sultanamet after a two hour drive. I had booked Empress Zoe at both ends with the thought that if we really hated it, we could find something else for the return portion. It was comfortable (except for the 1001 stairs), friendly & I had learned the neighborhood, so we went back.
After sleepy Göreme, Istanbul hit me like a bad dream. It was Friday & the Aya area was a mob scene of bodies & buses. The sidewalks of Divan Yolu Cad were teeming. We ducked into some eatery that was just OK but it was really quiet & it had a great view of the Blue Mosque from a rooftop terrace. Major photo opp. Feeling somewhat recharged & facing the inevitable, I directed us to the Grand Bazaar. Just to explain, I am the one that gets us there wherever there might be. I work the maps& remember the routes. I was born reading maps (geographer father) & I learn a city quickly. As for the Bazaar, remove the jewelry stores & the place would be half empty. View it as a carnival with the carnies out to give you thrills & take your cash. All the prices we checked were higher than the spice market which was equal to or higher than the street shops & sidewalk vendors. Bargain & have fun. In pursuit of copperware, we ended up on Cadircilar Cad & eventually in the square between the university & Beyazit Cami with its camera-shy pigeon-feeding ladies. A North American Indian troupe (or reasonable facsimile) was performing a quiet dance performance in one corner, but it sure sounded like Peruvian music to me. One weird & common thing on the street was the spirograph guys. They were everywhere with a table & a chair selling spirographs sets like we had in the 60s. Strange.
On the way back, we went to the Aya Sofya about a half an hour before it was set to close. A very good move. It was virtually empty. 20TL This building drips history & its bulk dominates Sultanamet. The few Byzantine frescoes & mosaics need no further description by me. The Blue Mosque beats it for beauty & tranquility, but the Aya has the presence.
Dinner had to be local. Our legs were still painful stumps & the four tier stair marathon at the Zoe wasn’t helping. The Medcezir – across from the Four Seasons - sucked us in with the big sesame bread puffed flatbread that they position on empty outdoor tables as bait. It worked.
Pretty standard kebap fare – and nothing wrong with that - with a cozy feel & a great staff. A bottle of anonymous 50TL wine was consumed & the bill was 100TL. The bread was simply amazing.
Day 14
This day started well, got nasty & then – with effort was salvaged & ended well. Obviously, this requires an explanation. We had the hotel call us a taxi to take us to the Chora Museum which lived up to all expectations. 15TL The mosaics are superb – jumping right out of Byzantium. After a tile purchase by my wife outside the church – some of the cheapest we had seen btw – we made our critical error. A cab was sitting & we took it to get to the drapery shops on Atatürk Bulyari – breaking all the rules. His ‘father’ got in for the ride (or was he the witness?) I didn’t check the size of the ‘extra’ on the meter. I didn’t speak up when we seemed to be going the ‘long‘ way around. And I wasn’t careful with my money when I paid. And he left us nowhere near the destination we had told him. And it cost us. Getting out of the cab, I was ready to kill. I refused to even consider another taxi for the rest of our time in Istanbul. We had been taken & I felt really, really stupid for letting it happen. A lot of should haves/could haves . . .
We knuckled under & decided that we weren’t going to let this incident blow the day. We were enjoying Istanbul & damn it . . . we were going to keep enjoying Istanbul. But warily. After getting our bearings – thanks to a kindly vendor – we had nothing but kindly responses whenever we asked for directions in Istanbul btw – we aimed for the Grand Bazaar again. I apologize to the vendors along that way that received some of my anger. We tramped a goodly portion of the Bazaar, left on side streets & somehow circled right back in again. We fought our way down Sabunco Hani Sokaḡi & Fincancilar Sokaḡi to the spice bazaar, picking up some curtains for a song along the way. The single benefit from the earlier incident is that it made my wife ruthless during haggling. We walked from many vendors empty-handed but when they said yes, we knew that we had a very decent price. Aside from the curtains – that match the curtains in our Arcadia cabin btw – we were just buying tiles & trinkets for gifts to take back home. We had lunch near the Spice Market again & walked up Ankara Cad & Bab-I Ali Cad which is a particularly steep way to go, I can easily say in hindsight. Loop over to Alemdar Cad if you want to make the climb much easier on your leaden legs.
We demanded a local restaurant again because we cancelled our Ciya reservations after deciding that transportation to the eastern side & back for dinner just might get really complicated & expensive. I hit the guidebook & spied a listing for Magnaura, just down the road. We sat outside with propane heaters & watched a bus ding said heater with his mirror as the traffic crawled by. I asked the waiter if the marble steak was good & he assured me in that buddy-buddy way that it was. It was. It came rare & sizzling on a hot marble ‘platter’ that lets you do some personal frying at the table. While not the equivalent of a good North American $45 behemoth piece of beef, it was much cheaper & pretty good. And a bottle of Anatolian red went down very smoothly.
Ian
This was the last leg of our journey. A return to mad Istanbul for three nights after the relative peace & tranquility of Anatolia & Cappadocia. We had a few sites left to see & I had promised some bazaar shopping.
Without a doubt, Cappadocia – and in particular Göreme – was one of those great destinations for us. The physical beauty of the topography is impossible to describe & photos don’t do it justice. Göreme is in the throes of transforming itself from a lazy backpacker’s secret to a deluxe destination. We loved it. But we would never go back again because that would spoil the magic.
Our shuttle to Kayseri went without a hitch although a no-show in anonymous Avanos – seemingly a tour bus hotel area – did squeeze the time a bit. But we got through the dual securities & boarding pass line up for our last internal flight to Istanbul (SAW). The last of 6 flights! All were on time & all were very efficient – except for the cancelled flight.
Once again, the Backpacker’s rep was waiting & guided us easily to our van. The drive in from Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) was not without incident unfortunately. Just after a major traffic crunch for the north bridge exit, we were the first arrivals at a nasty accident. A car had slammed into a frontend loader parked on the side of the highway around a slight bend. Our driver got out & rendered assistance as a crowd gathered as other motorists pulled over. A cop arrived & supplied orange cones. Further along, another traffic crunch occurred just before the bridge. This was obviously a near-permanent fixture with vendors walking between the cars selling water & food. On the bridge our driver commented that there was very little traffic heading east & after a collection of police cars on the side halfway across he said: jumper. We finally got to the Zoe (again & penthouse #401 again) in Sultanamet after a two hour drive. I had booked Empress Zoe at both ends with the thought that if we really hated it, we could find something else for the return portion. It was comfortable (except for the 1001 stairs), friendly & I had learned the neighborhood, so we went back.
After sleepy Göreme, Istanbul hit me like a bad dream. It was Friday & the Aya area was a mob scene of bodies & buses. The sidewalks of Divan Yolu Cad were teeming. We ducked into some eatery that was just OK but it was really quiet & it had a great view of the Blue Mosque from a rooftop terrace. Major photo opp. Feeling somewhat recharged & facing the inevitable, I directed us to the Grand Bazaar. Just to explain, I am the one that gets us there wherever there might be. I work the maps& remember the routes. I was born reading maps (geographer father) & I learn a city quickly. As for the Bazaar, remove the jewelry stores & the place would be half empty. View it as a carnival with the carnies out to give you thrills & take your cash. All the prices we checked were higher than the spice market which was equal to or higher than the street shops & sidewalk vendors. Bargain & have fun. In pursuit of copperware, we ended up on Cadircilar Cad & eventually in the square between the university & Beyazit Cami with its camera-shy pigeon-feeding ladies. A North American Indian troupe (or reasonable facsimile) was performing a quiet dance performance in one corner, but it sure sounded like Peruvian music to me. One weird & common thing on the street was the spirograph guys. They were everywhere with a table & a chair selling spirographs sets like we had in the 60s. Strange.
On the way back, we went to the Aya Sofya about a half an hour before it was set to close. A very good move. It was virtually empty. 20TL This building drips history & its bulk dominates Sultanamet. The few Byzantine frescoes & mosaics need no further description by me. The Blue Mosque beats it for beauty & tranquility, but the Aya has the presence.
Dinner had to be local. Our legs were still painful stumps & the four tier stair marathon at the Zoe wasn’t helping. The Medcezir – across from the Four Seasons - sucked us in with the big sesame bread puffed flatbread that they position on empty outdoor tables as bait. It worked.
Pretty standard kebap fare – and nothing wrong with that - with a cozy feel & a great staff. A bottle of anonymous 50TL wine was consumed & the bill was 100TL. The bread was simply amazing.
Day 14
This day started well, got nasty & then – with effort was salvaged & ended well. Obviously, this requires an explanation. We had the hotel call us a taxi to take us to the Chora Museum which lived up to all expectations. 15TL The mosaics are superb – jumping right out of Byzantium. After a tile purchase by my wife outside the church – some of the cheapest we had seen btw – we made our critical error. A cab was sitting & we took it to get to the drapery shops on Atatürk Bulyari – breaking all the rules. His ‘father’ got in for the ride (or was he the witness?) I didn’t check the size of the ‘extra’ on the meter. I didn’t speak up when we seemed to be going the ‘long‘ way around. And I wasn’t careful with my money when I paid. And he left us nowhere near the destination we had told him. And it cost us. Getting out of the cab, I was ready to kill. I refused to even consider another taxi for the rest of our time in Istanbul. We had been taken & I felt really, really stupid for letting it happen. A lot of should haves/could haves . . .
We knuckled under & decided that we weren’t going to let this incident blow the day. We were enjoying Istanbul & damn it . . . we were going to keep enjoying Istanbul. But warily. After getting our bearings – thanks to a kindly vendor – we had nothing but kindly responses whenever we asked for directions in Istanbul btw – we aimed for the Grand Bazaar again. I apologize to the vendors along that way that received some of my anger. We tramped a goodly portion of the Bazaar, left on side streets & somehow circled right back in again. We fought our way down Sabunco Hani Sokaḡi & Fincancilar Sokaḡi to the spice bazaar, picking up some curtains for a song along the way. The single benefit from the earlier incident is that it made my wife ruthless during haggling. We walked from many vendors empty-handed but when they said yes, we knew that we had a very decent price. Aside from the curtains – that match the curtains in our Arcadia cabin btw – we were just buying tiles & trinkets for gifts to take back home. We had lunch near the Spice Market again & walked up Ankara Cad & Bab-I Ali Cad which is a particularly steep way to go, I can easily say in hindsight. Loop over to Alemdar Cad if you want to make the climb much easier on your leaden legs.
We demanded a local restaurant again because we cancelled our Ciya reservations after deciding that transportation to the eastern side & back for dinner just might get really complicated & expensive. I hit the guidebook & spied a listing for Magnaura, just down the road. We sat outside with propane heaters & watched a bus ding said heater with his mirror as the traffic crawled by. I asked the waiter if the marble steak was good & he assured me in that buddy-buddy way that it was. It was. It came rare & sizzling on a hot marble ‘platter’ that lets you do some personal frying at the table. While not the equivalent of a good North American $45 behemoth piece of beef, it was much cheaper & pretty good. And a bottle of Anatolian red went down very smoothly.
Ian
May 23rd, 2011, 04:11 PM
#23
Day 15
The last day in Istanbul. The last day in Turkey. The only Top Ten thing that we hadn’t done - and that we also wanted to do – was a Bosporus cruise. I didn’t want to commit to the whole day adventure so we aimed down to the west side of the Galata Bridge for a Turyol cruise. 1 ½ hours. Up to the second bridge & back again. The morning had started foggy with the horns moaning on the Marmara. By the time we got to the docks around 11AM, it was still a little hazy. It was cool & thankfully I didn’t wear shorts. We hustled to the top floor forty-five minutes before cruise time & it was filling fast. 12TL Everybody – mainly Turks btw – wanted the open vista for picture taking. We went briefly over to the Karaköy shore & then across the Bosporus for Üsküdar, the only stop. Then we hugged the eastern shore & crossed at the second bridge & down again on the western. Make Note: The right side(starboard) of the boat/ship was the right side for pictures. It was pretty cool though & I mean that in a temperature sense. I was short-sleeved & shortly after halfway we retreated to inside. The cruise was well worth it. Excellent historical or geographic perspective or just for the fun of a boat ride. Quite the current btw.
We wandered over to the vicinity of the Archeological Museum buying last day trinkets in misc stores & lunch at Montana’s. With the long wand ice cream vendors as entertainment, we had crêpes – mushroom & chicken – both of which had a strange orange color (marjoram?) but tasted just fine. And cheap at 30TL with cold drinks.
I wanted to see the Serpent Column from Delphi & my wife wanted to re-view the Blue Mosque so we headed in that direction. Easy success with nice people watching opportunities on this beautiful Sunday afternoon. The Blue Mosque was just as wonderful as we remembered it, except the crowds had multiplied. And the smell. A lot of stinky feet. And some women sneaking in without scarfs. Umm. Ladies . . . this is about respect . . . not about you for once . . . We discovered the Arasta Bazaar & the vendors on the street southwest of it. No hoards. No aggression. My wife bought a few things & we went back to the room to collapse. By this time my legs – and I kid you not – would seize painfully when I stood on them too long. My wife said it only happened when we were shopping. Ha. Ha, ha. Ah well, we were done.
All that was left was dinner. We slummed & went back to the Medcezir – the one across from the Four Seasons with the bread. Our waiter was from Brooklyn. With a Turkish mother, he came back to see the homeland & stayed. We had the lamb chop kebap – which deserves songs of praise from Aya’s minarets. Yes, it was that good. A bottle of wine - unknown – was consumed & we had a great conversation with two women from Edmonton (well, one is living in Toronto) about other parts of Turkey on their horizon & life in general. I should mention that the Medcezir’s owner Ҫen (just call him John) was quite proud that Jimmy Carter + wife had stopped in for dinner two years ago. He has the pictures inside & out. But please don’t hold that against him & stop in for the lamp chops kebap & some bread. Did I forget to mention the great bread?
Start of the Istanbul 2 pictures (more to follow) http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../Istanbul%202/
Day 16
Backpacker’s pickup @ 9AM. Turkish Air to YYZ. And just how many passport stamps can they put on? First Class was very, very nice.
The End
Postscript Tidbit: Turkey’s traffic lights give a yellow caution for both: Red light warning AND green light warning.
Restaurant & Hotel & Best of Summation to follow sometime . . .
Ian
The last day in Istanbul. The last day in Turkey. The only Top Ten thing that we hadn’t done - and that we also wanted to do – was a Bosporus cruise. I didn’t want to commit to the whole day adventure so we aimed down to the west side of the Galata Bridge for a Turyol cruise. 1 ½ hours. Up to the second bridge & back again. The morning had started foggy with the horns moaning on the Marmara. By the time we got to the docks around 11AM, it was still a little hazy. It was cool & thankfully I didn’t wear shorts. We hustled to the top floor forty-five minutes before cruise time & it was filling fast. 12TL Everybody – mainly Turks btw – wanted the open vista for picture taking. We went briefly over to the Karaköy shore & then across the Bosporus for Üsküdar, the only stop. Then we hugged the eastern shore & crossed at the second bridge & down again on the western. Make Note: The right side(starboard) of the boat/ship was the right side for pictures. It was pretty cool though & I mean that in a temperature sense. I was short-sleeved & shortly after halfway we retreated to inside. The cruise was well worth it. Excellent historical or geographic perspective or just for the fun of a boat ride. Quite the current btw.
We wandered over to the vicinity of the Archeological Museum buying last day trinkets in misc stores & lunch at Montana’s. With the long wand ice cream vendors as entertainment, we had crêpes – mushroom & chicken – both of which had a strange orange color (marjoram?) but tasted just fine. And cheap at 30TL with cold drinks.
I wanted to see the Serpent Column from Delphi & my wife wanted to re-view the Blue Mosque so we headed in that direction. Easy success with nice people watching opportunities on this beautiful Sunday afternoon. The Blue Mosque was just as wonderful as we remembered it, except the crowds had multiplied. And the smell. A lot of stinky feet. And some women sneaking in without scarfs. Umm. Ladies . . . this is about respect . . . not about you for once . . . We discovered the Arasta Bazaar & the vendors on the street southwest of it. No hoards. No aggression. My wife bought a few things & we went back to the room to collapse. By this time my legs – and I kid you not – would seize painfully when I stood on them too long. My wife said it only happened when we were shopping. Ha. Ha, ha. Ah well, we were done.
All that was left was dinner. We slummed & went back to the Medcezir – the one across from the Four Seasons with the bread. Our waiter was from Brooklyn. With a Turkish mother, he came back to see the homeland & stayed. We had the lamb chop kebap – which deserves songs of praise from Aya’s minarets. Yes, it was that good. A bottle of wine - unknown – was consumed & we had a great conversation with two women from Edmonton (well, one is living in Toronto) about other parts of Turkey on their horizon & life in general. I should mention that the Medcezir’s owner Ҫen (just call him John) was quite proud that Jimmy Carter + wife had stopped in for dinner two years ago. He has the pictures inside & out. But please don’t hold that against him & stop in for the lamp chops kebap & some bread. Did I forget to mention the great bread?
Start of the Istanbul 2 pictures (more to follow) http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../Istanbul%202/
Day 16
Backpacker’s pickup @ 9AM. Turkish Air to YYZ. And just how many passport stamps can they put on? First Class was very, very nice.
The End
Postscript Tidbit: Turkey’s traffic lights give a yellow caution for both: Red light warning AND green light warning.
Restaurant & Hotel & Best of Summation to follow sometime . . .
Ian
May 23rd, 2011, 04:47 PM
#25
Join Date: Jan 2004
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I've enjoyed your report! Thanks for posting. Another fan of Nazar Börek! We went there three times in three days, and I'd probably go back to Goreme just to go there again--well, for that and the great hiking in the area. We also stayed at the Empress Zoe and liked it very much, although we didn't have all the stairs. Are all three cats still there? IIRC, one of them (the orange one?) was quite old.
May 24th, 2011, 02:45 AM
#27
bon_voyage
We didn't see enough of it to tell you much. My impression was a bigger town that services larger scale tourism - not a small approachable village like Göreme. Of note, the balloons fly over Göreme . . .
ms_go
I posted the menu for you: http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../nazarmenu.jpg
3 that I counted. Although the orange one that visited us on high looked quite young.
OC
Likewise. Whenever you get to Toronto . . .
Ian
We didn't see enough of it to tell you much. My impression was a bigger town that services larger scale tourism - not a small approachable village like Göreme. Of note, the balloons fly over Göreme . . .
ms_go
I posted the menu for you: http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../nazarmenu.jpg
3 that I counted. Although the orange one that visited us on high looked quite young.
OC
Likewise. Whenever you get to Toronto . . .
Ian
May 24th, 2011, 05:07 AM
#28
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,412
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Thanks for posting the menu! I shouldn't have looked at it before breakfast, though, because now I'm really hungry. It isn't easy to find that sort of thing in the far western Chicago burbs.
I checked our notes: the three cats were Jasper (the old one), Bobby and Mojo.
I checked our notes: the three cats were Jasper (the old one), Bobby and Mojo.
May 24th, 2011, 06:13 PM
#30
ms_go
The orange cat http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...esidentcat.jpg
And if you like cats & kids, this was snapped by my wife at the Archeological Museum.
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...l/cathappy.jpg
Ian
The orange cat http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...esidentcat.jpg
And if you like cats & kids, this was snapped by my wife at the Archeological Museum.
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...l/cathappy.jpg
Ian
May 26th, 2011, 06:16 PM
#31
Hotel Summary
Empress Zoe – Istanbul: Extremely well located at the end of a restaurant & hotel filled street – minutes from central Sultanamet. Everything is nearby. The hotel is actually 3 houses so room sizes & prices vary. Lots of stairs to upper levels so choose accordingly. Friendly staff. Nice breakfast room & outdoor courtyard with several resident cats. Recommended.
http://www.emzoe.com/
Arcadia Hotel – Ҫirali: Not really a hotel but 10 cabins split over 2 areas – 5 newer cabins in lemon groves 10 minutes from the beach. 5 older cabins with restaurant fronting on beach. Great staff. Great dining on the beach or in the restaurant. Breakfast served buffet-style to your table. Lots of wildlife underfoot – cats, chickens & ducks. Like staying on a farm on the beach. The beach is sand + smooth stone. Highly recommended.
http://www.arcadiaholiday.com/
Urkmez Hotel – Selçuk: When good enough is good enough, this hotel may be enough for you but not for us. Rough bath but functional. Basic room but functional. No phone. Friendly staff. Good breakfast & rooftop area. Inexpensive & close to everything in Selçuk. Check out the Hotel Bella if you want more.
http://www.urkmezhotel.com/
Kelebek Cave Hotel – Göreme: One of the better stays we have had anywhere. Friendly staff. Superb views. Wide range of rooms. Ours was a large suite with a balcony. Good breakfast & restaurant. Wifi. Spa. Pool. Sat TV. And did I mention the views? My biggest complaint is the roughness of the pebbles in the big shower. Located on a hill, so there is uphill walking involved. Highly recommended.
http://www.kelebekhotel.com/
Best Restaurants of Our Trip
While eating was good in Turkey, there was a sameness to almost every menu. Of course, we were in touristic areas so that might be part of it. And we didn’t stray from Turkish food. They all had kebaps & ʂiʂ. They all had some stews. They all had fresh fish. The lunchier spots usually had pizza & pide (Turkish pizza). Cappadocia added testi which is stewed meat and/or veggies in a small clay pot. Similar entrees averaged from 10TL to 22TL depending upon the location of the restaurant. The busier the locale was, the higher the price.
Istanbul
Med Cezir - Kebap & Pide Restaurant - Sultanamet – Istanbul: Order the lamp chop kebaps & the bread. Just 3 small chops but they are exquisite. Other dishes are good but not a standout – except the bread. 50TL for 2
http://www.hotelmedcezir.net/en/restaurant.asp
Magnaura Cafe Restaurant – Akiyik Cad, 27 – Sultanamet – Istanbul: Seating outdoors can be noisy with the busy road but it is also good for people watching. However, this is a tourist area so that is what you will see. We had the marble steak – served on hot marble – and it was quite good. This restaurant was busy when all of their neighbors were empty. 80TL for two
The Turquoise Coast - Ҫirali
Arcadia Hotel – Ҫirali: Dinner on the beach. With tables set with linen in the sand & a crackling fire, does the food really matter? It was good, though. They have set menu or à la cart. I assume that they will take non-guest diners but check with them before you go. 80TL for 2
http://www.arcadiaholiday.com/
Simge – Ҫirali: A laidback pizzeria in the village. Service takes a while but the pizza was very good. They also have other offerings on the menu.. 40TL for 2
Oleander – Ҫirali: I liked this for the friendly atmosphere & the great flatbread. This is the place the locals go in town. Standard kebaps & ʂiʂ. The owner has a display of the offerings so you can point & choose. 50TL for 2
Cappadocia - Göreme
Nazar Börek Café – The first time you walk by it you will think: Are they crazy? This tiny nondescript café with one outdoor table can’t be the restaurant that is getting all of the raves. Trust me & go in. 25TL for 2
Seten – I am including this even though we thought that it was overpriced. Just a few doors from the Kelebek, it is billed as fine dining. The service was, but the food – while good – was not. My wife had the Dry Bean with Pastrami which was just a bean soup for 25TL. I had the Seten Style Lamb Kebab for 40TL – which was just lamb & a very few veggies in a big standard pita. 90TL for 2
http://www.setenrestaurant.com/
Conclusion
When people ask: How was Turkey? I usually say: Great. What else can I say with a word or two? How can you describe The Blue Mosque? Or the absolute crush of crowds near the Bazaars? Or the fairy chimneys in Göreme? Turkey is like Europe Eastern Style. Istanbul has the narrow twisty streets like an Italian city but then there will be an ice cream guy at the end in his getup smacking his ‘scoop’ & doing his routine. And a kebap shop with their wonderful smells. And a carpet shop – always a carpet shop. I have never seen as many healthy street cats as I saw in Turkey. The tourists feed them & the Turks feed them & love them. Istanbul is a big busy city. Jammed with big city traffic, people, noise etc like any other & the beauty & history of its mosques & monuments equals anything in the world. North of the Golden Horn, it is a modern city – albeit with a Turkish twist. South of the Horn is the history, where every street holds the story of the glory of the Byzantine era, the rape of the Crusaders & the rise & fall of the Ottoman Empire. And around every bend is another fabulous view of the sea or the Bosporus. Intertwined with all of this is enough shopping potential to make your head spin. Because truly, Istanbul is one big bazaar.
We really liked Turkey, but for us, Anatolia & Cappadocia were the special bits. Anatolia with its snow-capped mountains folding down to the sea. Beautiful doesn’t describe it. We saw such a small part of it, but I surely wanted more. And the scenery in Cappadocia is one of the rare unique parts of the earth. It must be seen to be believed.
So there you have it. As I write this, I am in a Hampton Inn in Boca Raton - which is certainly the antithesis of everything I saw in Turkey. But I have to work so I can return to Turkey some day.
Ian
Empress Zoe – Istanbul: Extremely well located at the end of a restaurant & hotel filled street – minutes from central Sultanamet. Everything is nearby. The hotel is actually 3 houses so room sizes & prices vary. Lots of stairs to upper levels so choose accordingly. Friendly staff. Nice breakfast room & outdoor courtyard with several resident cats. Recommended.
http://www.emzoe.com/
Arcadia Hotel – Ҫirali: Not really a hotel but 10 cabins split over 2 areas – 5 newer cabins in lemon groves 10 minutes from the beach. 5 older cabins with restaurant fronting on beach. Great staff. Great dining on the beach or in the restaurant. Breakfast served buffet-style to your table. Lots of wildlife underfoot – cats, chickens & ducks. Like staying on a farm on the beach. The beach is sand + smooth stone. Highly recommended.
http://www.arcadiaholiday.com/
Urkmez Hotel – Selçuk: When good enough is good enough, this hotel may be enough for you but not for us. Rough bath but functional. Basic room but functional. No phone. Friendly staff. Good breakfast & rooftop area. Inexpensive & close to everything in Selçuk. Check out the Hotel Bella if you want more.
http://www.urkmezhotel.com/
Kelebek Cave Hotel – Göreme: One of the better stays we have had anywhere. Friendly staff. Superb views. Wide range of rooms. Ours was a large suite with a balcony. Good breakfast & restaurant. Wifi. Spa. Pool. Sat TV. And did I mention the views? My biggest complaint is the roughness of the pebbles in the big shower. Located on a hill, so there is uphill walking involved. Highly recommended.
http://www.kelebekhotel.com/
Best Restaurants of Our Trip
While eating was good in Turkey, there was a sameness to almost every menu. Of course, we were in touristic areas so that might be part of it. And we didn’t stray from Turkish food. They all had kebaps & ʂiʂ. They all had some stews. They all had fresh fish. The lunchier spots usually had pizza & pide (Turkish pizza). Cappadocia added testi which is stewed meat and/or veggies in a small clay pot. Similar entrees averaged from 10TL to 22TL depending upon the location of the restaurant. The busier the locale was, the higher the price.
Istanbul
Med Cezir - Kebap & Pide Restaurant - Sultanamet – Istanbul: Order the lamp chop kebaps & the bread. Just 3 small chops but they are exquisite. Other dishes are good but not a standout – except the bread. 50TL for 2
http://www.hotelmedcezir.net/en/restaurant.asp
Magnaura Cafe Restaurant – Akiyik Cad, 27 – Sultanamet – Istanbul: Seating outdoors can be noisy with the busy road but it is also good for people watching. However, this is a tourist area so that is what you will see. We had the marble steak – served on hot marble – and it was quite good. This restaurant was busy when all of their neighbors were empty. 80TL for two
The Turquoise Coast - Ҫirali
Arcadia Hotel – Ҫirali: Dinner on the beach. With tables set with linen in the sand & a crackling fire, does the food really matter? It was good, though. They have set menu or à la cart. I assume that they will take non-guest diners but check with them before you go. 80TL for 2
http://www.arcadiaholiday.com/
Simge – Ҫirali: A laidback pizzeria in the village. Service takes a while but the pizza was very good. They also have other offerings on the menu.. 40TL for 2
Oleander – Ҫirali: I liked this for the friendly atmosphere & the great flatbread. This is the place the locals go in town. Standard kebaps & ʂiʂ. The owner has a display of the offerings so you can point & choose. 50TL for 2
Cappadocia - Göreme
Nazar Börek Café – The first time you walk by it you will think: Are they crazy? This tiny nondescript café with one outdoor table can’t be the restaurant that is getting all of the raves. Trust me & go in. 25TL for 2
Seten – I am including this even though we thought that it was overpriced. Just a few doors from the Kelebek, it is billed as fine dining. The service was, but the food – while good – was not. My wife had the Dry Bean with Pastrami which was just a bean soup for 25TL. I had the Seten Style Lamb Kebab for 40TL – which was just lamb & a very few veggies in a big standard pita. 90TL for 2
http://www.setenrestaurant.com/
Conclusion
When people ask: How was Turkey? I usually say: Great. What else can I say with a word or two? How can you describe The Blue Mosque? Or the absolute crush of crowds near the Bazaars? Or the fairy chimneys in Göreme? Turkey is like Europe Eastern Style. Istanbul has the narrow twisty streets like an Italian city but then there will be an ice cream guy at the end in his getup smacking his ‘scoop’ & doing his routine. And a kebap shop with their wonderful smells. And a carpet shop – always a carpet shop. I have never seen as many healthy street cats as I saw in Turkey. The tourists feed them & the Turks feed them & love them. Istanbul is a big busy city. Jammed with big city traffic, people, noise etc like any other & the beauty & history of its mosques & monuments equals anything in the world. North of the Golden Horn, it is a modern city – albeit with a Turkish twist. South of the Horn is the history, where every street holds the story of the glory of the Byzantine era, the rape of the Crusaders & the rise & fall of the Ottoman Empire. And around every bend is another fabulous view of the sea or the Bosporus. Intertwined with all of this is enough shopping potential to make your head spin. Because truly, Istanbul is one big bazaar.
We really liked Turkey, but for us, Anatolia & Cappadocia were the special bits. Anatolia with its snow-capped mountains folding down to the sea. Beautiful doesn’t describe it. We saw such a small part of it, but I surely wanted more. And the scenery in Cappadocia is one of the rare unique parts of the earth. It must be seen to be believed.
So there you have it. As I write this, I am in a Hampton Inn in Boca Raton - which is certainly the antithesis of everything I saw in Turkey. But I have to work so I can return to Turkey some day.
Ian
May 28th, 2011, 11:45 AM
#32
Join Date: Feb 2011
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Ian,
It seems you used Backpackers Travel for most of your airport transfers. Were you satisfied with them, their service and were they on time each time you scheduled them? (appears so from your description).
Thanks.
It seems you used Backpackers Travel for most of your airport transfers. Were you satisfied with them, their service and were they on time each time you scheduled them? (appears so from your description).
Thanks.
May 31st, 2011, 04:13 AM
#35
For any that prefer the pictures to accompany the text, I have now edited it & posted it all here:
http://members.rennlist.org/imcarthur/turkey.htm
Ian
http://members.rennlist.org/imcarthur/turkey.htm
Ian
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