Cannakkale – Istanbul Saturday, 15 October 2011

Weather:  bleak and rainy

Temperature:  8 degrees – 12 degrees

We were up very early with our luggage outside the door at 6.30am.  We walked to the car ferry at 6.45 in the cold and wet conditions.  It was still dark as we crossed the Dardanelles and landed in Europe for the first time in twenty-one days.

As we approached ANZAC Cove several partridges flew for some time in front of the bus…..maybe leading the way?

ANZAC Cove is much smaller than I imagined and we saw the sphinx (a large rocky outcrop) which the soldiers first saw as they landed at 4.30am on 25 April 1915.  Our mood was reflective and sad…..a group photo standing behind the ANZAC memorial with the Dardanelles in the background says it all.  We read the information at the site and then moved onto Beach Cemetery a little way up the road.  The weather was cold and miserable and I wondered how the poor buggars coped knowing that death, dysentery or injury was pretty well inevitable as well as suffering the unbearable cold in the long winter.  Evacuation occurred just after Christmas in a horrific eight and half month campaign before the allied forces withdrew.

Photo:  Reading the information at ANZAC Cove.

Photo:  Beautiful ANZAC Cove.

There are 32 cemeteries in total and those who were not found or buried have their names engraved on epitaphs including Lone Pine (2000 tombstones and 5000 soldiers named).   We visited one other cemetery – ANZAC Cove a little further along and saw John Simpson Kirkpatrick’s grave (Simpson and his donkey) which showed he lasted precious little time doing his good work as a member of the medical corps.

Photos above:  .......too sad for words!

Photo:  ......barely there a month doing his brave work.

The trenches are still evident in some areas and others are maintained to give visitors a sense of the conditions the soldiers experienced.

The miserable weather continued and we sat in the bus listening to our guide give poignant information relating to the Turks as well as allied forces.  Ergon sang a song written for the Turkish soldiers which started:  I lost my life when I was very young, I died before I came here….as the soldiers and their families believed that they were going to meet certain death.  I don’t think there was a dry eye on the bus! 

Photo:  Looking down from atop the Turkish Memorial....brrrrr........

The Turkish memorial sits high on a hill with a large memorial.  The tombstones bear the soldiers’ first names and ‘son of’ as surnames were not introduced until the 1920’s under Ataturk’s leadership.

Our last stop was the New Zealand memorial high on the hill of Chanuk Bair which overlooks Shrapnel Valley.  The wind was blowing a gale as we took in the view down to ANZAC Cove and walked passed recreated trenches.

Photo:  David standing in front of Chanuk Bair where the New Zealanders held the top ridge for two days before the Turks took hold once again.

Back on the bus we were certainly a subdued bunch taking in the enormity of the visit.  I’m pleased I went and as much as it was a very sad visit with many tears for all of us it gave us a huge understanding of the anguish and suffering by both sides.

We then settled in for the long drive back to Istanbul following along the Dardanelles.  The day continued with wet and bleak conditions (8 degrees at 12.30pm) all the way with a top of twelve degrees.

Lunch was a quick affair at a garage followed by afternoon tea at a service station.  Desley had collected the tips for Ergun and twelve of the group signed the card with lovely comments.  He was very grateful and thought we were a great bunch.

We hit Istanbul in the late afternoon and dreadful traffic which was stop-start for about an hour.  Eventually, we arrived at our hotel and bustled inside with our bags.

Eight of us joined Ergun for dinner at a nearby restaurant and enjoyed good times and reminiscing over a couple of wines.

Tomorrow the tour officially ends after breakfast but many will be leaving about 6am so the tour is really over now.

We’ve had the time of our lives – six and a half weeks on the go visiting so many wonderful places and experiencing so many things we never dreamt we’d be doing.  We are very very lucky!!

Selcuk - Cannakkale Friday, 14 October 2011

Weather:  cool to cold with wind

Temperature:  lowest 13 degrees to a high of 19 degrees

We set off on time at 8am ready for a big day of driving.  We only had one visit planned today and this was to visit Troy which was only half an hour from our destination.

We followed the Aegean coastline for some time with large olive groves leading down to the lower areas to the sea and high on the hills.  Passing through Izmir and learned it was the third largest city in Turkey.  Generally, we pass apartment block after apartment block coming into these huge cities.

A little further on our guide pointed out the Ida Mountains where there are many modern hotels which cater for tourists who visit the mountains to enjoy the thermal springs.

We made several stops along the way (the general rule is every two hours) including lunch at a café in Akcay where we enjoyed tasty kebap meals of chicken of lamb.

We then made our way up the mountains and the coastline vegetation gave way to brilliant green fir trees.  The weather had turned bleaker and there was some rain.  The temperature was falling……

…….and the Troy visit was cold and windy!  Apparently Troy valued the wind and its advantage over its enemies in the nearby sea.  Today we could have done without it!  Our guide gave us a preliminary talk to set the scene and explain the story of Troy, Schliemann’s excavations in the 1800’s and the many civilisations of this old city (nine altogether!).  Knowing that there were so many layers of Troy can be confusing however the layers are numbered and the variance in building stones is reasonably evident.  Nevertheless, without all the explanations by Ergun (where we stood under a roof trying to keep warm) we would have ruled this site as a heap of rubble……archaeological heresy probably!!

Photo:  Showing the numbered levels - very helpful!

Photo:  Where Schliemann dug through many levels of Troy searching for treasure (which he found nearby).

Although the site was an interesting visit we were pleased to retreat to the bus for warmth and even better a couple of minutes up the road we stopped for hot drinks…..they sold hot chocolate and I washed this down with a Mars bar….you know you are near civilisation when you can do this!

Our hotel was half an hour away and the weather didn’t improve and we alit to 14 degrees and grey weather.

We had a two hours before meeting for dinner and we took the time to shower and get organised for our very early start tomorrow – 6.45am to catch the ferry to Gallipoli. 

Dinner was a lovely affair and we knew it was probably our last time as a group.  Three of our travellers, as per usual, did their own thing but the rest of us enjoyed a set menu at a seaside restaurant that our guide had organised.  It included mezes (entrees), choice of whole fish or meatballs and fresh fruit.

Desley had organised the tips for our guide and driver and we took the opportunity to thank our driver who would finish tomorrow after we reach Istanbul.  Cameron did a great job thanking Muzo on behalf of the group.  Each couple contributed towards his tip and wrote comments which Ergun translated.  It was obvious Muzo enjoyed us on the trip – as much as we appreciated a thoughtful caring driver!

It was home to bed…..but not before we checked out a jewellery shop on the way.  Shopping is addictive!!

Tomorrow’s weather looks like it will be cold.  I’m sure our visit to the Dardanelles will be a sombre reminder of the futility of war.

Pamukkale –SelcukThursday, 13 October 2011

Weather:  sunny and warm

Temperature:  mid-twenties to top of 30 degrees at 3pm.

Today we travelled for just over three and a half hours to our next nightly stop-over at Selcuk which was to be our base to explore the well-known ancient city of Ephesus (Efus).

We stopped briefly and at the risk of becoming road-kill at the side of the road we took photos of an old Roman aqueduct at the bottom of a hill.

After lunch and check-in we visited the Ephesus Museum to see some of the relics from the site.  Artemis was represented several times in statues and there was a complete room dedicated to Eros.  It was then onto the old city which was built in four stages over four sites.

Photo:  At the Ephesos Museum - David giving a size comparison to one of the statues which came from Ephesos.

Photo;  Only three inches high but this fertility god creates a lot of attention at the museum!  It's a god of fertility.....!!!

At 3pm the temperature had risen as we set off to explore the entrance area of Ephesus perusing the Roman baths, the agora, the basilica and the Bouleutron (or Odeon).

Photo:  At Emperor Domitian's palace......quite grand in places.

We walked down the old royal road made of marble and our guide pointed out things of interest on the way.  In Roman times the emperors were revered and several buildings were built to honour them including Hadrian’s gate (yes, another!) and Domitian’s Palace (81-96 AD).

We could see the Library of Celsus (114-117AD) in the distance and marvelled at the enormity and completeness of the facing wall.  As we drew closer we all took turns taking photos of each other knowing we probably wouldn’t be this way again! 

Photo:  The Library of Celsus...you can see how huge it is by comparing the size of the people in the background to the surviving facade.

Our next stop was the famous theatre of Ephesus which was built in the Hellenistic period and covers an enormous area seating up to 24 thousand people.  It is currently being restored and there were workers in the central seating area and further up to the top right.  The top most seating is 30 metres above ground level.  St Paul is said to have spoken to his people three times here.

Photo: Desley at the huge Roman theatre.....seats 24 000!

Ephesus is known for its leather so Ergun took us to a leather outlet.  It was a lot of fun as we were seated in a room and treated to a fashion parade of their wares.  I pretended I was Kylie Minogue in the front row in Paris although I could see from the looks on the males’ faces on the other side that they did not share my excitement!

It was then onto the showroom for a quick lesson in grading and then we were let loose………suffice to say several people went away happily with their purchases including David who bought himself a black leather jacket.

With a quick round of drinks before dinner in one of the hotel rooms we were taken to a local restaurant which specialised in a lamb dish.  It arrived on an iron platter with a burner underneath to keep it warm.

And the day had not ended here…..we then went to Julia’s shop (a long held promise from our guide) who specialised in silver.  As one male wag on the tour described the women shopping inside (while the men sat outside)– it was like white sharks in a feeding frenzy!  Some interesting pieces were purchased and we spend several hours poring over (and buying) some pieces.

It was then home to bed as the day will start early with our biggest drive ahead of us. 

Kas – Pamukkale Wednesday, 12.10.11

Weather:  miserable giving way to a sunny day

Temperature:  10 degrees to mid-twenties

We set off at 8.30am ready for a big day:  Xanthos;  Hierapolis and the Travertine Pools.

Our first stop was the ancient Lycian kingdom of Xanthos  about an hour out of Kas.  The weather was bleak (rain and wind) and only a handful of the bus made it through the quick tour.  The old city stands high on a hill and was rediscovered by Englishman Charles Fellows in 1838.  Unfortunately, he also took a lot of the site to the British Museum and some pieces on the site are replicas.

Xanthos has a very tragic past:  in 546 BC knowing that the Lycian kingdom was falling to the Persian King Xerxes the men killed their women and children and then killed themselves rather than falling to enemy hands.

Photo:  Xanthos....a wet and bleak visit to this important site.

The area has a small but beautiful amphitheatre abutted by a large pedestal with the largest Lycian inscription in the world. 

We followed the beautiful Mediterranean coastline sandwiched between the sea and high cliffs until we made the turn north to head to our overnight stay some five hours away.  There was a storm in the distance with yet another rainbow…..which must have been lucky as we had glorious weather when we needed it later in the day.

Photo:  What a view....following the Mediterranean coastline.

The change in direction produced much cooler weather with damp conditions and low cloud.  As we went over the highest point of Karabel at 1300 metres it was 10 degrees.  Lunch a little further on was very cold and overcast and we stayed inside the roadside restaurant until we could get on the bus.  A purchase of a Turkish CD recommended by our guide made interesting listening along the way.

The rain became less as we made our way along the open plained valley which grows cotton, tobacco, sugar beet, corn and pomegranates.

The hotel for the evening was a very large affair and obviously catered for many bus groups.  Looking around I could not believe we were even in Turkey!  We had a very large room and facilities included a swimming pool and spa.

Our guide took us to Hierapolis on the less used walk – longer but giving us much more exposure to this fascinating site.  Entering the Necropolis (cemetery) on the southern side we could see hundreds of tombs, sarcophagi and mausoleums rising above the hills.   The area was used for a very long period and was used by many civilizations including the Lycians, Christians, Jews and Byzantines.  Several round tumulus built in first century BC have earth cones.

Photo:  Sitting to pose amongst the tombs, mausoleums and tumuli at the Necropolis a cat came and sat on my lap!

Wending our way up to the Hieropolis we could see many surviving constructions.  The Northern and Southern Gates are very impressive and are joined by a colonnaded street:  Frontinus Street.  Worn grooves from chariots and wagons could be seen under the arches and several stones as we walked this ancient street.

Photo:  Our fellow travellers waving from atop....I was only half way down so it will give an idea how steep the steps are!

The Roman theatre was built in the 3^rd century AD by Semptimus Severus and can seat up to twelve thousand spectators.  The seats are steep and have views overlooking the valley below.

The temple of Apollo sits below the theatre and we were encouraged to hear the speaking (actually bubbling water) from the temple and which once gave off lethal vapours.

Hierapolis was finally abandoned after a major earthquake in 1334 and is being slowly restored.

We walked down the hill to look at the modern Pamukkale Thermal Pool where there were many tourists enjoying the heated waters while swimming over fallen columns from the site.  We had a rest and drinks before our visit to the Travertine Pools.  There were many Russian tourists.

The Travertine Pools are a natural phenomenon which began forming about 14000 years ago.  The water emerges from the ground at 35 degrees and gradually loses its temperature as it makes its way down channels to the bottom.  The water at the bottom was still tepid though when we left the terraces.

Photo:  The sun over the Travertine Pools.

Photo:  Beautiful to look at but hard on the feet!

We took off our shoes and slowly made our way on the hard calcium surfaces.  Looking around it looked like snow – but there was nothing soft underneath – the ground is hard and has small ridges!

We all sat and put our feet in the flowing water channel and enjoyed having a rest.  We were all snap-happy and loved the sunset across the terraces.

Back at the hotel it was time for a quick drink in one of the rooms and then onto a hotel smorgasbord meal – what a difference to all the local meals we have been having!  We could have been in Australia with the food on offer!

All in all, a truly fascinating day and we visited two world heritage sites in one day.

Kas - Tuesday 11 October 2011

Weather:  rainy – sunny – showery

Temperature:  mid-twenties

Today was the all day cruise on the Mediterranean and we set off tentatively as it had been raining all night.  The sky was overcast and we wondered what a cold wet day without all the lovely colours would be like.

As luck would have it for us on this adventure and against all internet predictions we enjoyed a sunny day with rain only at our last stop.

We drove forty-five minutes to Ucagiz which is a very small fishing village although its main industry is obviously taking people out on the beautiful water judging by the amount of cruising boats.

We only motored along for about thirty minutes when we stopped at Kalekoy which sits on the Lycian city of Simena to look at the Lycian sarcophagi dotted across the ridge of Kekovi Island.  There was also an old castle and theatre there with magnificent views which as we have discovered on this tour all have the hallmarks of several civilizations.

Photo:  Strolling through 400 year old olive groves to inspect the sarcophagi.

Photo:  Looking down from our high vantage point at the castle.

Back on board we had a great time relaxing, swimming and for some playing backgammon.  Today I didn’t swim…..not too many did however they said the water was reasonably warm.

Photo:  David swimming in the beautiful Mediterranean.

Photo:  Cameron and Desley enjoying the magnificent colours of the sea....yes, we did try the Titanic pose but you can see their faces in this one!

Ergun said the captain’s wife on the boat was an excellent cook – second to his aunt who lives in Istanbul!  We were not disappointed as she cooked some delicious food in her tiny kitchen while her husband cooked the chicken on a little wood fire barbecue at the back.

Photo: Lunch is served!

Photo:  There's always one on a bus tour.....however, we brought this one with us!

Setting off again after our lunch break we drove close to an island which had been heavily populated by the Lycians but destroyed by an earthquake.  The town slid down the mountain and we could see many submerged houses/rubble through the brilliant blue-green water.

Photo:  Travelling close to the lost city.....many parts are submerged.

The rain ended our day on the water and we were treated to a magnificent rainbow over the beautiful water and dotted rocky outcrops.

Back in town the weather had remained inclement so we were very fortunate.

We wandered the streets after a clean-up and enjoyed having quick glimpses into all the beautiful shops.  It is very touristy however the jewellery shops offer beautiful original pieces.  Desley succumbed (a little more than me!) and we were happy with our purchases.

We enjoyed a lovely dinner at a restaurant recommended in Lonely Planet….and we were not disappointed.  Wandering home in sprinkling rain we were very happy with our day and this little part of the world.  It would be lovely to explore along this coastline at a more leisurely pace!

Antalya -Phaselis –KasMonday, 9 October 2011

Weather – rain

Temperature – low twenties.

As we left Antalya the weather was very overcast however the weather held as we stopped at the ancient port town of Phaselis just an hour away.  This ancient seaside port was built by the Greeks in 7^th century BC and it is an absolute idyllic location – it is easy to see why this is a very popular tourist attraction.

Photo:   Showing a portion of the aqueduct at Phaselis with the pretty little bay in the background.  The area is abundant in fir trees.

Photo:  Hadrian's wall - not up to the usual standard we have become accustomed to!

Phaselis has three picture perfect bays (North, City and South) and many remnants of Roman times including Ana Cadde (the main street), baths, agoras and a theatre.  Once again we came across Hadrian’s Gate however this time it was in a grave state of disrepair…that now numbers three!

The site is dotted with pine trees and is very picturesque.  The theatre was much smaller than the spectacular Aspendos but nevertheless reasonably intact and our ever thoughtful guide had brought red wine and hazelnuts to celebrate a couple’s second wedding anniversary.  Red wine at 11am!  The fellow then sang Ï’ve got you under my skin”standing at the bottom of the theatre…..how romantic!

Photo:  The beautiful backdrop to the ancient theatre.

Photo:  Our group getting a seat in the theatre before a wine toast and performance.

Ergun, our unshy guide, then sang a Turkish love song calling for his beloved in Australia.  The ancient gods must have been looking out for him because as soon as he had finished his girlfriend texted him to say Í love you!

It poured raining just after we left Phaselis so some ancient gods must have looking out for us as well.  An hour or so further on we stopped for lunch at a place we all later learned was a trout farm.  As we rushed inside out of the rain we failed to notice the environment!  No wonder there was so much fish on the menu.

Driving further on through teeming rain we passed through Kamluca which is a major area for the production of tomatoes, cucumbers, capsicums etc.  It appears they are all grown hydroponically in huge greenhouses.  As we looked back at the town from the hilltop we could see how extensive the production was going all the way to the seaside.

Another stop and we were fortunate with the rain once again as it was only spitting.  It was a brief stop to take in the Lycian Tombs behind the town of Myra.  The area has many stone tombs built into the mountain in the style of the timber homes they had in their township.

Photo:  The Lycian Tombs built into the mountain side.

We made a quick trip to St Nicholas church (now a museum)….the real St Nicholas’ and known as Noel Baba in the region.  It is very popular with Russian tourists and it is believed some of his relics are held within the church.

Photo:  Standing outside the Noel Baba statue in front of the St Nicholas Museum.

We followed the Mediterranean coastline for some time however the well-known vivid hues were not evident due to the inclement weather.  Maybe tomorrow?

Kas is our stopover for two nights and it very evidently Greek influenced.  A Greek island is only three kilometres from here and they are permitted access to Kas for shopping, medical etc.

We met up with our guide after an hour and wandered the streets of delightful Kas.  It is obviously a very popular area in the summer months as there were many great shops…..we tried to stop but as we are only six females we were overpowered!

Dinner was at Mumma’s Kitchen (another clue about the tourist trade here) and we felt we were eating out at a Greek restaurant – many Greek meals including moussaka.

Tomorrow is the cruise on the Mediterranean and we are very doubtful about the weather!

Konya - Antalya - Sunday, 9 October 2011

Weather – showers giving way to pouring rain in the afternoon.

Temperature – mid-twenties.

We left Konya to drive most of the day to Antayla - a journey over the Taurus Mountains to the Mediterranean.  As we crossed the mountains which took some considerable time the temperature dropped to 10 degrees and when we had our morning tea it was quite a bit cooler.

The terrain was rocky with fir and cedar trees below the snow line.  The top most point we passed was 1825 metres.

Photo:  Very rugged but beautiful countryside.

As we finally made it to lower levels fruit orchards were evident and pomegranate and lemon trees were in abundance.  By this time it was quite overcast and after our quick visit to see the Roman aqueducts near the ancient theatre of Aspendos our guide chose a roadside café to enjoy some gozleme (pancakes) with freshly squeezed pomegranate juice.  We had a choice of spinach, cheese, potatoes and mince. 

Photo:  Quite rudimentary however exceptionally functional!

We then had a very interesting afternoon visiting the ancient theatre of Aspendos which was built in 160 – 150 AD.  Ataturk had ordered the site to be restored and it is absolutely magnificent.  We had had a similar experience visiting the theatre in Greece and we were not disappointed here.  Two of our travellers had good voices so they did us proud and sang beautifully with the fantastic acoustics.

Photo:  The massive theatre of Aspendos.

Photo:  That's me....showing the arches which frames the seat area in a huge semi-circle.

It was only sprinkling during this visit but as the bus motored along the heavens opened up and we were travelling through flash floods which were causing traffic jams. 

On arrival at our hotel we had a half an hour turn around and we set off with our wet weather gear to explore the Antalya.  We couldn’t complain as we have had magnificent weather all the way.

After being in some reasonably remote areas of Turkey we knew we had landed back in civilization when we saw McDonalds and Starbucks!  As well, the women were not so conservatively dressed and the shops were very western in dress.

The city was founded in 220 BC by Attolos II of Pergmaum and we passed a statue in his honour. 

We walked past old well known architectural features including the Temple of Diana (also a church and mosque at some stage) with the truncated minaret which was burnt in 1851, Hadrian’s gate (that was a second on this trip as we saw the other one in Athens), the Seljuk Turk fluted minaret built in 13th century and the old port. 

Photo:  Ancient building with many pasts including a temple, mosque and church.  The Truncated Minaret is in the background.

We finally made our way to an old castle for dinner which overlooked the port.  What a life!  The heavens once again opened up so we made it just in time to order a wine….another clue we were in a tourist area…..and sit back and enjoy the view.  Fish was the order of the day (although a couple of carnivores in the group finally had their wish granted for steak!) and it was decided to made up some seafood platters for all of us.  The rain continued to pour so after our first drink we make our way inside much to the relief of the waiters who were holding down the awning.   A great feast was delivered in platters and we shared these with a salad.

Although the day felt long it was a real treat….and Aspendos Theatre was an absolute highlight.

(Photos to be added later as the internet connection is too weak!)