Saturday, July 18, 2009
One more comment
Cappadocia, Part 3 and sign off
Goreme, Cappadocia, part 3
We went to the Goreme Outdoor Museum today, the fifth most visited place in Turkey. It consists of a series of monasteries, dating from the 11th and 12th century, each one very close to the next. These were constructed in the large tufa, the strange volcanic triangle formations that are famous in Cappadocia. By the way, Cappadocia is an area; Goreme is a small town in Cappadocia, and we are staying at the Kelebek Hotel, which I love. It has a great website—check it out. The monasteries are not like any churches we’ve ever seen. They are carved out of stone and have very primitive frescos on the walls. The sad part is that many of the faces have been scratched out. Turkey is the holiest site for Christians outside of the Vatican and Israel. In the fourth century Constantine made Christianity the official language of the Roman Empire. Byzantine was the capital; after Constantine’s death, the name was changed to Constantinople. When the Turks came, it became Istanbul. It was Constantine’s mother who went to what is today Israel to identify the holy sites: here is where Jesus had the last supper, here is where he was born, etc. The Christian church here is, of course, the Eastern Orthodox. Our guide yesterday repeatedly pointed out how tolerant Turkey has always been, given refuge to persecuted people.
They did accept the Jews when Spain kicked them out after the Inquisition and seem tolerant of them today.
Turkish Bath: The Kelebek Hotel has the BEST spa. I indulged in a Turkish massage today. It costs $70 for 70 mins, but really lasted 1 hr and 45 mins. If you go to the Kelebek website, you can see the room. In the middle is a large, heated marble slab—maybe 10-12 ft in diameter with a butterfly design in the middle (Kelebek means butterfly) and a skylight overhead. I was given a small Turkish towel for cover. This is a coed room, and I was grateful that I was the only one there because the towel slips a lot! The therapist was a teeny, tiny Japanese young woman. Next to her, I looked like Jaba the Hut. First she poured large bowls of hot water all over me. Then she used a loofa to scrub me, covered me with soapy water using a pillow full of the bubble bath., and gave me a massage. I thought it was all over, but wait—there’s more! She took me to a cool down room and then to a private massage room, where I got another great massage. Finally I got a facial mask. Sublime
Observation: You have to be very healthy and fit to travel in Turkey. This is not a place for sissies or anyone with a handicap. There is no ADA here. There are no warnings about how steep or how slippery a trail may be , how low a ceiling is, or how narrow a passageway. There are no waivers to sign. Everything seems to involve climbing a lot of stairs. I’m glad Dan and I did this while we’re still reasonably fit!
Turkish language: Evidently the Turkish language is related to Japanese, Korean, and Finnish!!! Two guides shared this info with us. I don’t know if it can be validated on Snopes.
As soon as I edit my pictures, put them to music and add captions, I will invite anyone who has received this blog to come see the DVD.
Signing off…(unless something really interesting happens in the next 24 hrs)
Shirley
Friday, July 17, 2009
Capadoccia, Part 2
It’s a good thing our trip is coming to an end because I’m running out of superlatives and didn’t bring my Thesaurus.
We went on another tour yesterday. Tours seem to be the best way to see the area. A van holding up to 15 picks us up at our hotel, drives us from spot to spot, waits for us. The price of 30 euros per person includes all entrance fees, a guided tour, and lunch. On our van yesterday there were 7 of us: 2 French Canadians, 2 young girls from CA, and 1 Japanese young woman. We started off at a winery—there are many vineyards in the area and wine making is a big deal. According to our guide, wine making began in this region 6,000 years ago. We tasted a glass of red and a glass of white—both very dry, which is what I prefer. No one bought wine, and there was no pressure to do so.
On our next stop we visited the deepest of the underground dwellings—it goes down 8 layers, but tourists are only allowed to go down 4. These dwelling were probably first built by the Hittites, but then the earliest Christians used them to hide from invaders. The ventilation system was such that they were able to dissipate the smoke from fires so it wouldn’t be seen. It’s not an easy task to visit the caves because you’re either bending in half to navigate the low tunnels or you’re climbing up or down steep areas.
Lunch was in a new, very large, stone building with arches and separate eating areas around a common central area where a musician was playing. We had lentil soup, followed by white beans in a liquid—very soup like, too, then a dish baked in a clay pot with chicken, meat, and vegetables. The very surprising thing about the Turkish cooking we’ve had is that it is all very bland.
After lunch, we visited a pottery making site, owned and run by the same family for generations. We watched a young man “throw” a pot and lid on a rather primitive wheel. It was fascinating to watch the artists design and paint the pots. Some pots were in ochre, tan, orange, red, and black with Hittite designs. Others had Byzantine, Moorish, or Ottoman designs. Again there was no pressure to buy. The garden outside the building was beautiful with a zillion zinnias. (Please appreciate the alliteration!)
We next visited 3 sites with fascinating tufa formations. One site had tufas that looked like various animals: camels, lizard, fish. The best site had a monastery with a fresco inside built in one of the tufas. In order to reach it, it was necessary to climb a steep ladder—easy going up, but not so easy going down. Chicken Dan didn’t climb up but stayed down to take a very unflattering picture of my butt as I came down.
The end of the day was the best—another absolutely fantastic hike!
When we go on Elderhostel trips, they have pictographs to indicate the level of difficulty of the activities. On the ship, the brochures would have 1-3 little pictures of a man walking to indicate how strenuous a tour was going to be. In Turkey, you take your chances!! The host at our hotel said it would be a 30 minute walk—well 2 hours later, we reached our van, but it was so worth it!! We were in the Rose Valley, which had been impassable for 5 previous days because of rain. We were able to navigate the path(?) but it was still slippery. I put a question mark after path, because for a lot of the trail there wasn’t one. At the beginning of the trail, we scrambled down, a steep, narrow, rocky gravely path. We straddled rivulets of running water, maneuvered over rocks. At the bottom was a picturesque valley with orchards of grape vines, apricot, walnut, and cherry trees. Our guide climbed up the trees to pick fresh fruit for us.
About 2/3 of the way in, was a “pit stop”. A large rectangular area with one side against a large rock wall and 3 sides open. Poles held up a covering for shelter. Around the rectangle were seats on the ground with cushions and pillows. A man served tea and soft drinks. The 8 of us—an interesting group of 3 Christians, 1 Muslim, 1 Hindu, 1 Buddist, and 2 Jews-- sat around talking—particularly about the Kurds and Armenians. Again, Dan and I were the oldest in the group by about 30 years.
This AM, we got up at 4:45 and went up in a hot air balloon. I’ve been hot air ballooning twice before and love it! We glided over agricultural valleys,
through the tufa, and saw breathtaking panoramas of the area. The weather hadbeen poor for about a week, but today was absolutely perfect!!!
Dan and I are currently outside, on a raised platform with cushions and pillows overlooking the outside eating area. Dan is currently snoring…
Stay tuned for my last blog.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Goreme, Cappadocia--Fabulous!!!
Goreme, Cappadocia rain! Cool!
This trip gets better and better. We are in an unbelievable hotel in an unbelievable fairyland. The hotel has many levels with terraces
each with a phenomenal view of “fairy castles,” which are volcanic tufa. I’m sitting on a raised pillow area, drinking Turkish tea looking out on the lighted tufa.
Our room is quite large with a separate sitting area and a small balcony—again with a view. It entitles us access to a Turkish bath (hamman) and spa. I was even able to talk Dan into trying it. We wrapped ourselves in Turkish towels (it’s coed), went in the sauna and then sat on marble with a large basin with hot and cold running water between us. We had silver colored bowel that we used to dip the water and pour over us—it was amazingly refreshing. A couple we’ve met were on a very large, heated marble stand getting Turkish massages. I may have to indulge before I leave.
We went on a remarkable tour today in a van with 13 other people: 3 from Australia, 4 from Spain, 4 from London, 4 from US. This area is known for multi-level underground dwellings; we visited a small one probably started by the Phillistines. The early Christians, who were persecuted, hid in them for months. To get to one part, we had to go down a hole backwards. Tomorrow we’re going to see a larger one.
It had been raining, but the weather cleared, and we went on the best hike ever. It was over 4 miles along a rushing river in a canyon. We had to scramble over rocks, hike up a few steep hills, and walk where there was no trail. The wildflowers—white, yellow, and blue daisies, red poppies, white and lavender unknowns—were in bloom everywhere. High up in the canyons were monasteries carved into stone. Dan and I were the oldest people by far—our guide was 24—most of the other couples were in their 30’s and 40’s, and there was a 12 year old girl. I have to brag that we kept up with everyone. I did get help from an adorable young man from Barcelona. I was able to practice my Spanish with him while we walked. At the end of the hike, we had lunch in an outdoor restaurant: lentil soup, salad, and a choice of entrees. Dan and I had small pieces of chicken cooked with peppers, onions, and tomatoes served with rice. Delicious.
We drove a short distance to a huge caravan stop along the Silk Road. again built in the rock. We walked up a steep, rock-filled trail (I thought we were done with hiking!)through narrow passage ways. At one point there was space only to put one foot in front of the other. The people of the caravans could stay for free for 3 nights. Somehow they even housed their camels and donkeys.
Tomorrow, we’re going on another guided tour. If it’s anything like today, it will be wonderful. The day after we’re going up in a hot air balloon.
When we disembarked the ship in Istanbul, I thought perhaps we had made a mistake adding on 8 days in Turkey. No way!!! This has been a fantastic experience!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Pamukkale--A find
Pamukkale 80’s
Wow! It was worth the schlep to get to Pamukkale….definitely a highlight of our trip. I can understand why it’s a World Heritage Sight. Surprisingly,
we only heard American English spoken once-- when we met a couple at our hotel from New York—he’s an Italian citizen; she’s from Columbia, raised in a very Jewish section of NY—she used to fast on Yom Kippur—and she’s Catholic! I don’t think they get many Americans here. I’m going to become the unofficial ambassador because it’s not to be missed on any tour of Turkey.
The experience here was fascinating on three levels:
First it is another collection of ruins but with a difference: Dan and I thought we had OD’d on ruins, but we both loved these. They are spread out over a large area and were practically empty. We were the only people strolling the ancient main street. There are many sarcophagi and necropoli throughout. My favorite ruin was the bath/basilica. Originally it had been a bath; when Christianity arrived, they built a basilica over it. Dan got excited when he read there was a nymphaeumu, but it turned out to be a temple in honor of the Greek nymphs. What also made these ruins different was that the entire area is beautifully landscaped with raised flower beds of multi-colored flowers and oleander and olive trees kept immaculate by the many gardeners we saw.
Second. We got to swim in the “sacred” pools, which consist of ancient pools of fresh, circulating mineral water at body temperature that is supposed to cure “diseases of eye, derma, hearth and blood circulatory system, respiratory and urinary system weariness and post opereation diseases.” (errors are from brochure) Supposedly as Cleopatra was aging, she sent out envoys to find a cure for her wrinkles. They found the pools at Pamukkale, and voila—Cleopatra had an ancient facelift. As we were entering the pool, we suddenly realized that we were walking over the remains of ancient columns. At first I thought it was a Disneyland gimmick—someone had placed the columns and other remains on purpose for the effect—but I found out that the ruins remained where they had fallen after 2 devastating earthquakes in the earliest years of the common era.
Many of the people at the pools that day were Ukranian and/or Russian. We found out in St. Petersburg that the Russian women pose like movie stars for photographs so I followed their example. Dan took many pictures of girls in string bikinis, but when I downloaded them on my computer, I went “delete, delete.” I posed next to a 300 lb woman because she made me look skinny.
The third—and the best—is difficult to describe. In a mountainside of white travertine marble, are about 20 small to medium pools of turquoise mineral water cascading from the top to the bottom of the mountain. The deepest pools only came up to the middle of my calf, most are ankle deep. Along the pools runs a culvert of rushing water. I was like a kid—going in every pool on my way down and sitting in the culverts—the only adult to do so. I felt very smug because I wore a pair of waterproof shoes with great soles. Otherwise, the walk was hard on the feet. I found out later, that wearing shoes in the pools is forbidden, but I was lucky not to get caught by the “shoe Nazis”.
It was an amazing experience!
Pamekkale is in a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains. Despite the brothel decoration in our room (see previous e-mail), the hotel was charming with a stone patio with tables covered with colorful multi-colored Turkish tablecloths. We had a great homemade dinner, cooked by the owner’s auntie, served on the patio.
I think I could get a job in Turkey rewriting the tourist info in correct English. To give you one example of many, here are the first sentences just as they are written in a brochure on the area
“Hierapolis antique city is one of the most attractive centers reached today from antique ages. The city have ruins belonged to Late and Early Helenistic periods. Hierapolis toot place in UNESCO World Heritage Site.”
For those of you who knew my Aunt Pearl, she’d have a field day with this!
Comment on air travel in Turkey: Even the tiny airports we have been in are clean, modern, and very efficient. I didn’t have to take off my shoes, and they let me carry my water bottles thru security. On the 3 flights we’ve taken (each one no longer than around an hour), they served a meal. Granted it was the same for breakfast, lunch and dinner: seeded roll with mozzarella cheese and tomato and chocolate pudding.” The seats are wide and comfy with good legroom. On the flight to Keyseri, there was a tour of people all dressed very traditionally. Dan’s seat was next to one of the women. She changed with one of the men in her party. It was either something he said, his need to bathe, or a cultural concern.We are in Cappadoccia, which is unreal, but Ill save that for my next blog.
Pamukkale 80’s
Wow! It was worth the schlep to get to Pamukkale….definitely a highlight of our trip. I can understand why it’s a World Heritage Sight. Surprisingly,
we only heard American English spoken once-- when we met a couple at our hotel from New York—he’s an Italian citizen; she’s from Columbia, raised in a very Jewish section of NY—she used to fast on Yom Kippur—and she’s Catholic! I don’t think they get many Americans here. I’m going to become the unofficial ambassador because it’s not to be missed on any tour of Turkey.
The experience here was fascinating on three levels:
First it is another collection of ruins but with a difference: Dan and I thought we had OD’d on ruins, but we both loved these. They are spread out over a large area and were practically empty. We were the only people strolling the ancient main street. There are many sarcophagi and necropoli throughout. My favorite ruin was the bath/basilica. Originally it had been a bath; when Christianity arrived, they built a basilica over it. Dan got excited when he read there was a nymphaeumu, but it turned out to be a temple in honor of the Greek nymphs. What also made these ruins different was that the entire area is beautifully landscaped with raised flower beds of multi-colored flowers and oleander and olive trees kept immaculate by the many gardeners we saw.
Second. We got to swim in the “sacred” pools, which consist of ancient pools of fresh, circulating mineral water at body temperature that is supposed to cure “diseases of eye, derma, hearth and blood circulatory system, respiratory and urinary system weariness and post opereation diseases.” (errors are from brochure) Supposedly as Cleopatra was aging, she sent out envoys to find a cure for her wrinkles. They found the pools at Pamukkale, and voila—Cleopatra had an ancient facelift. As we were entering the pool, we suddenly realized that we were walking over the remains of ancient columns. At first I thought it was a Disneyland gimmick—someone had placed the columns and other remains on purpose for the effect—but I found out that the ruins remained where they had fallen after 2 devastating earthquakes in the earliest years of the common era.
Many of the people at the pools that day were Ukranian and/or Russian. We found out in St. Petersburg that the Russian women pose like movie stars for photographs so I followed their example. Dan took many pictures of girls in string bikinis, but when I downloaded them on my computer, I went “delete, delete.” I posed next to a 300 lb woman because she made me look skinny.
The third—and the best—is difficult to describe. In a mountainside of white travertine marble, are about 20 small to medium pools of turquoise mineral water cascading from the top to the bottom of the mountain. The deepest pools only came up to the middle of my calf, most are ankle deep. Along the pools runs a culvert of rushing water. I was like a kid—going in every pool on my way down and sitting in the culverts—the only adult to do so. I felt very smug because I wore a pair of waterproof shoes with great soles. Otherwise, the walk was hard on the feet. I found out later, that wearing shoes in the pools is forbidden, but I was lucky not to get caught by the “shoe Nazis”.
It was an amazing experience!
Pamekkale is in a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains. Despite the brothel decoration in our room (see previous e-mail), the hotel was charming with a stone patio with tables covered with colorful multi-colored Turkish tablecloths. We had a great homemade dinner, cooked by the owner’s auntie, served on the patio.
I think I could get a job in Turkey rewriting the tourist info in correct English. To give you one example of many, here are the first sentences just as they are written in a brochure on the area
“Hierapolis antique city is one of the most attractive centers reached today from antique ages. The city have ruins belonged to Late and Early Helenistic periods. Hierapolis toot place in UNESCO World Heritage Site.”
For those of you who knew my Aunt Pearl, she’d have a field day with this!
Comment on air travel in Turkey: Even the tiny airports we have been in are clean, modern, and very efficient. I didn’t have to take off my shoes, and they let me carry my water bottles thru security. On the 3 flights we’ve taken (each one no longer than around an hour), they served a meal. Granted it was the same for breakfast, lunch and dinner: seeded roll with mozzarella cheese and tomato and chocolate pudding.” The seats are wide and comfy with good legroom. On the flight to Keyseri, there was a tour of people all dressed very traditionally. Dan’s seat was next to one of the women. She changed with one of the men in her party. It was either something he said, his need to bathe, or a cultural concern.We are in Cappadoccia, which is unreal, but Ill save that for my next blog.
Wow! It was worth the schlep to get to Pamukkale….definitely a highlight of our trip. I can understand why it’s a World Heritage Sight. Surprisingly,
we only heard American English spoken once-- when we met a couple at our hotel from New York—he’s an Italian citizen; she’s from Columbia, raised in a very Jewish section of NY—she used to fast on Yom Kippur—and she’s Catholic! I don’t think they get many Americans here. I’m going to become the unofficial ambassador because it’s not to be missed on any tour of Turkey.
The experience here was fascinating on three levels:
First it is another collection of ruins but with a difference: Dan and I thought we had OD’d on ruins, but we both loved these. They are spread out over a large area and were practically empty. We were the only people strolling the ancient main street. There are many sarcophagi and necropoli throughout. My favorite ruin was the bath/basilica. Originally it had been a bath; when Christianity arrived, they built a basilica over it. Dan got excited when he read there was a nymphaeumu, but it turned out to be a temple in honor of the Greek nymphs. What also made these ruins different was that the entire area is beautifully landscaped with raised flower beds of multi-colored flowers and oleander and olive trees kept immaculate by the many gardeners we saw.
Second. We got to swim in the “sacred” pools, which consist of ancient pools of fresh, circulating mineral water at body temperature that is supposed to cure “diseases of eye, derma, hearth and blood circulatory system, respiratory and urinary system weariness and post opereation diseases.” (errors are from brochure) Supposedly as Cleopatra was aging, she sent out envoys to find a cure for her wrinkles. They found the pools at Pamukkale, and voila—Cleopatra had an ancient facelift. As we were entering the pool, we suddenly realized that we were walking over the remains of ancient columns. At first I thought it was a Disneyland gimmick—someone had placed the columns and other remains on purpose for the effect—but I found out that the ruins remained where they had fallen after 2 devastating earthquakes in the earliest years of the common era.
Many of the people at the pools that day were Ukranian and/or Russian. We found out in St. Petersburg that the Russian women pose like movie stars for photographs so I followed their example. Dan took many pictures of girls in string bikinis, but when I downloaded them on my computer, I went “delete, delete.” I posed next to a 300 lb woman because she made me look skinny.
The third—and the best—is difficult to describe. In a mountainside of white travertine marble, are about 20 small to medium pools of turquoise mineral water cascading from the top to the bottom of the mountain. The deepest pools only came up to the middle of my calf, most are ankle deep. Along the pools runs a culvert of rushing water. I was like a kid—going in every pool on my way down and sitting in the culverts—the only adult to do so. I felt very smug because I wore a pair of waterproof shoes with great soles. Otherwise, the walk was hard on the feet. I found out later, that wearing shoes in the pools is forbidden, but I was lucky not to get caught by the “shoe Nazis”.
It was an amazing experience!
Pamekkale is in a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains. Despite the brothel decoration in our room (see previous e-mail), the hotel was charming with a stone patio with tables covered with colorful multi-colored Turkish tablecloths. We had a great homemade dinner, cooked by the owner’s auntie, served on the patio.
I think I could get a job in Turkey rewriting the tourist info in correct English. To give you one example of many, here are the first sentences just as they are written in a brochure on the area
“Hierapolis antique city is one of the most attractive centers reached today from antique ages. The city have ruins belonged to Late and Early Helenistic periods. Hierapolis toot place in UNESCO World Heritage Site.”
For those of you who knew my Aunt Pearl, she’d have a field day with this!
Comment on air travel in Turkey: Even the tiny airports we have been in are clean, modern, and very efficient. I didn’t have to take off my shoes, and they let me carry my water bottles thru security. On the 3 flights we’ve taken (each one no longer than around an hour), they served a meal. Granted it was the same for breakfast, lunch and dinner: seeded roll with mozzarella cheese and tomato and chocolate pudding.” The seats are wide and comfy with good legroom. On the flight to Keyseri, there was a tour of people all dressed very traditionally. Dan’s seat was next to one of the women. She changed with one of the men in her party. It was either something he said, his need to bathe, or a cultural concern.We are in Cappadoccia, which is unreal, but Ill save that for my next blog.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Istanbul, Part 2
Istanbul, Part 2
OK…back to our entertaining dinner. One of the dishes on the menu is baked in a clay container with a narrow top and wide bottom. Our host put the container in a fire, took it out, tapped it all around cracking it, and voila—there was dinner! After dinner, Dan and I went to the very top of our hotel for a final nighttime view of Istanbul.
On our last day we visited the Blue Mosque, which is immaculate—beautiful clean Turkish carpet…(reread my blog on the visit to the mosque in Alexandria, which by comparison is a zoo with garbage! ) Tourists are not allowed in the prayer area, but we could see all of it. There were only about 4 worshippers as it wasn’t prayer time. I love to listen to the Muzzenine (have no idea exactly what the word is) the men who sing the call to prayer. It’s possible to hear one after the other from the different minarets at prayer time, which occurs 5 times a day. Many of them, however, are now outsourced—recorded!
We then took a tram and a funicular to the new section of Istanbul, which Rick Steves gives 3 stars. I give it ½ star. It’s just the modern part of town with Starbucks, Burger King, etc….neither quaint nor upscale enough to be interesting. Dan and I had an overpriced so-so lunch. We saw our friends from the ship who were staying at the Intercontinental. It’s a beautiful hotel, but when they asked the front desk for a converter, they said they could buy one. (In Barcelona our hotel gave us one to keep!) Breakast and lunch were over $70 for a buffet. . I’m so glad we stayed in the old part of town!
Note on the Turkish people: Dan and I have traveled a lot and are now ready to give Turkey the award for the friendliest, most helpful, and most hospitable people. (except at Intercontinental) Wherever we went, —whether at our hotel, a restaurant, the Grand Bazzar, or just asking directions on the street—the Turks could not do enough to help us. Two small examples: our host at the restaurant “treated” us to our tea, coffee, cappuccino. At my hotel, when I commented how much I liked the decorative, ceramic coasters in our room, the young man at the desk gave them to me. We were often stopped by people just so they could talk to us. I think of the Turks of yore—the ferocious Turks conquering everyone. Their descendants certainly don’t take after them.
On the ride to the airport, we drove along the seaside through a beautiful area with colorful flowers and trees. The airport was clean, modern, and efficient.
Cleanliness: Debbie asked me if Turkey is clean. The answer is an unequivocal “yes!” We have seen almost no trash or graffiti. Even the bathrooms in the tiniest places are immaculate. I saw many workers picking up trash and sweeping the streets. Shop owners in the Grand Bazzar were washing down the street in front of their stores with water. Contrast this to Egypt…
A funny comment….I asked the young man at our hotel if he had ever been to Egypt. He replied, “I’m afraid to visit an Arab country.”
Women: The Turks pride themselves that when Ataturk came into power (1920’s, I believe), Turkey became a secular state, and women had full rights, which they continue to have. What surprised me is that so many of them still dress traditionally. We were told that this is a personal choice.
I think it’s an odd choice. Although we have been lucky with the weather,
high 80’s. many of the women wear long, heavy coats over their dresses/skirts. I asked one woman why they didn’t wear something modest but cooler—such as a black, cotton covering. She said that cotton clings to the body and is too revealing.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Istanbul, Part 1
Istanbul,Part 1
We arrived in Istanbul at 12:30 in the afternoon. Sailing into the port is spectacular with the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi, overlooking the Sea of Marmara. 6 of us took a tram to the old section. Dan was in heaven because the tram is modern and very user friendly. In order to get to our destination—tour boat—we had to go under 2 tunnels filled with street vendors selling everyday items and wall-to-wall people. We were on a 2-deck, large boat that took us on a 90 minute tour of the Bosphorus. What a gorgeous ride past mansions along the waterfront! The homes were spectacular mixed in with mosques, parks, playgrounds, and an old fort. I know it sounds odd to get off a ship just to get on a ship, but the cool breeze on a hot day with a beautiful view was perfect! Afterwards, we toured the spice bazzar, which has beautiful displays of colorful spice.Duh! The smells are delicious.
The next day we abandoned ship. I had chosen our hotel from Trip Advisor. While many on our cruise were going to the Intercontinental or Four Seasons or Hilton, we’re in a small, boutique hotel with 7 rooms and no elevator. Of course we’re on the top floor! The room is large with 3 windows, a comfy chair, a bureau, and a modern bathroom. The best part is the AC. One floor up with there is a terrace (where they serve breakfast) from which you can see the water. It’s a delightful place to sit and relax. We met a young couple from Sausalito doing just that. The staff at the hotel couldn’t have been nicer. The young man, Fati, 23, who manned the front desk brought a computer to my room when mine wouldn’t work. When we left, I told him how much I’d admired 2 small tiles in the room—he gave them to me.
We walked to the Grand Bazzar. It is a HUGE covered shopping mall dating to the 15th century ( I think) with many permanent stores with windows, air conditioning, etc. in addition to permanent stalls. The main items for sale include gold and silvery jewelry—tons of it everywhere—leather jackets, boxes and perfume bottles made from camel bone, ceramics, fake pashminas, fake name brand purses, evil eyes, and carpets, carpets, carpets. The best shop for me was one selling antique Judaica from pre-revolutionary Russia. The pieces were made of enamel—somewhat like Faberge without the jewels. I could have bought a mezuzah ($1100) or a menorah ($1600). My favorite was a piece of jewelry—a Jewish star in a circle. The salesman started it at $650 and came “down” to $550. I resisted. all, but they were beautiful. The 2 Sephardic (Spanish) Jews we met have volunteered that their families have been in Turkey since 1492 (the inquisition).
I love the Turkish people. They bargain in a good natured way. I tried on leather jackets in 2 shops bantering with the salesman. We were both full of &*(^! Dan voluntarily let himself be dragged into a carpet shop. I think the salesman knew we weren’t interested, but he did his best and didn’t mind that we didn’t buy. The Turks are the friendliest people I have ever met. We had some wonderful encounters.
On the way back to our hotel, we were looking for a place to have a cool drink and found the ideal place. A man on the street was handing out ads for “happy hour” on a terrace. We took us up in a hotel elevator and then we walked up 2 flights to a beautiful terrace café overlooking the Blue Mosque. We sat under an umbrelled table, enjoyed a cool breeze, and a cool beer. Perfect. When we got back downstairs, the man asked if we liked it, we said, “yes,” and he kissed my hand!
A woman at our hotel asked to join us for dinner. Of course, we said yes.
On the way to dinner we walked through the Four Seasons Hotel, went to an art gallery opening, checked out small shops. We’re staying in the old town of Istanbul, which is obviously becoming gentrified-- Many restaurants and nice shops. We had dinner at the top of a building overlooking the Sea of Marmara. Many of the buildings here are narrow with 4-5 stories. They all seem to be topped with terraces with views.
The next day we went to a small but very interesting Jewish museum, went up a famous tower for an incredible view, and visited Topkapi Palace, which is huge made up of many different buildings. There are 3 treasure rooms , one of which contains the famous Topkapi dagger (a movie was made about a supposed theft of the dagger). Next to the dagger was a 68 carat diamond. One building had “Islamic” relics: the staff of the prophet Moses (right!), the sword of the prophet David, the sandle and footprint of Mohammed or maybe his son? While we were looking at these “relics, a man with a beautiful voice was in the room chanting the Koran over a loudspeaker.
The walls of many rooms are covered with exquisite tiles primarily in turquoise, red, royal blue, bright green, and white.
On the way to dinner, we ran into some people whom we knew from the ship. Along with Phil and Allie we had a fun evening and a delicious dinner.
The street behind our hotel is filled with outdoor restaurants and little shops. Each restaurant has a barker, each one competing for your business. It becomes a game and is very entertaining. After much discussion (I went to stand across the street until a decision was made) we chose one billed as a family restaurant. The business card says, “Mom does the cook.”
Kusadasi-Ephasus
Kusadash—Ephesus—hot!
Kusadasi is a beautiful port town that has become a major tourist center. It has changed dramatically since we were here about 10 years ago. There are beautiful, new buildings at the port. I had arranged a guide ahead of time via internet . He was a delightful 31 year old man, who owned the company While all previous cars/vans were adequate with good A/C, he had a new, very large, high domed van with seats for maybe 16-18. Since there were only 4 of us, we had plenty of room. The ride from Kusadasi to Ephesus is fairly short—maybe 15 minutes tops. I think the only ruins that surpass Ephesus are those at Pompey, and Ephesus has many that are unique.:
*the famous communal toilets—about 30 toilets side by side where the men would sit and do their business. There was running water beneath the toilets with a pool of water in the middle. The Roman amphitheater is very large carved into the rock and is supposed to have excellent acoustics. The best part was the section they had excavated since we had been there 10 years ago: the terrace houses consisting of about 7 houses of the rich people of the time with beautiful frescos and mosaic floors covering a HUGE area.
The most fascinating part for me was watching the archaeologists restoring
Large jars by putting shards of pottery together like a jigsaw puzzle. They are continuing to excavate Ephesus—only a small percent has been uncovered, yet it is huge.
Our guide drove us by his apartment: 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, 1 living room, and kitchen for which he paid the equivalent of $65,000.
He knew we were Jewish and took us to a beautiful, old building with a patio of shaded trees and introduced us to one of the ubiquitous carpet salesman—only this was no simple carpet salesman. He is a Sephardic Jew who owns half of downtown Kusadasi. His daughter goes to Pepperdine College n CA.
He let me use his computer, gave us iced tea, and took us around and introduced us. He said all the Jews of Turkey were very “comfortable,” and they look out for each other. He said that most of the Spanish tour guides are Jewish. Even though they have been living in Turkey (one of the few countries to take Jews during the Inquisition) since 1492, they still speak Spanish and Ladino. I asked him to say something in Ladino—it sounded exactly like Spanish to me.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Israel Part 2
Jerusalem revisited. Editorial: What amazes me about Israel is the juxtaposition of the religious and secular Jews. As we were leaving the port, at a bus stop there was a young Israeli solder in uniform complete with gun and a religious Jew with a long black coat, pantaloons, and wide brimmed hat.
The religious Jews are as much an oddity to me as they would be to any Christian. I saw young women either wearing wigs or head coverings ,with long skirts and long sleeved shirts although it was hot and humid. Many of the men in addition to the outfit described above have beards and peous (don’t know the spelling) These are the long curls coming down on either side of their faces.
The children are miniature versions of their parents. While I am respectful towards them, I don’t respect them at all. They don’t think I’m Jewish, and I think they’re following a Judaism out of the Middle Ages-Nineteenth century schtels. Even my grandparents from Eastern Europe looked at them as something foreign and strange. As my cousin Alison said, “Rather than repairing the world (one of the basis of Judaism, they are splitting hairs as to what is the right thing to eat, to wear, etc.” As to the soldiers, there are so many young, handsome soldiers (men and women) throughout Israel, you get used to seeing guns everywhere. I feel completely safe in Israel more so than in Oakland, parts of SF, or even parts of San Jose.
Editorial 2: Israel vs. Egypt Egypt was filthy dirty with terrible roads. We saw many villages that looked probably the same as during Biblical times with men on donkeys, using primitive farm tools. Israel is extremely modern, clean, with a great infrastructure. The desert has been turned into beautiful farmland. Yesterday we saw groves of bananas and other kinds of fruit. At historical sites, Israel has excellent movies, videos, signs telling about the history. Egypt doesn’t.
There are 5 million people in Cairo alone. There are 7 million people in all of Israel. Why can’t the Arab states let this tiny, wonderful nation exist?!!!
Haifa 80’s
Our relatives picked us up. We drove around Haifa to see the sights and then spent most of the day in Caesaria. When we were in Caesaria 17 years ago, it was a beach with Roman monuments sitting in the sand. Today it is a complex of restaurants, shops, swimming beaches, and centers explaining the history. The presentation was one of the best I’ve ever seen with dual screens showing the present and the past simultaneously. We had lunch outside overlooking a multi-blue colored Med. We then drove to a small town on Mt. Carmel. Our cousins’ one son, Dror lives there. It has a tourist street with little art shops and restaurants. From there we drove through the mountains to our cousins home in Haifa, where one of their 2 daughters, their son, daughter-in-law, and 4 of their 11 grandchildren came to see us. They had a lovely garden, and we had a great visit.
There is an intestinal virus that has hit the ship. Our cousins Phil and Alison had it pretty badly, Dan mildly, and I am on board ship today instead of in Cypress because it’s my turn. I feel fine—just want to be near a nice, clean, modern “john.” I know, TMI……!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Jerusalem
I LOVE Israel. No matter what your religion is, it’s an incredible country!
It is an ancient, yet very modern city. The entire country is an archaelogical dig. There have been amazing changes since we were here 17 years ago.
Yesterday, we splurged on a private guide to Jerusalem. Three days prior to disembarking, Israeli officials boarded the boat to check each of us with our passports face-to-face. When we arrived at Ashdod, and disembarked, our guide was no where to be seen. Fortunately we had his cell phone and the port authority called him. They told us to take a shuttle to Gate 2. We got on the shuttle and waited 10 minutes while the driver argued with an Israeli guard. Finally, we took off—first stop Gate 5. When we got to Gate 2, our guide wasn’t there. They had told him to go to Gate 5! We finally got together for the beginning of an unforgettable day.
He took us on the back roads to Jerusalem. We went through a beautiful forest and stopped at a fascinating sculpture called the Gates of Fire. That depicts the Holocaust to redemption in a metaphoric way. We visited the grave of Dan, where we saw religious Jews praying—then on to En Kerim, a small hillside village with a Carmelite monastery. We arrived at Yad Vashem, which is totally different from the way it was 17 years ago. I thought it was the best representation of the Holocaust possible. Our guide said that it overwhelms people, so he took us to the highlights, which still took over 2 hrs. Two of the most moving sights were Shindler’s original lists and videos of 2 Lithuanian Jews who as children survived being taken to a pit to be shot. They fell on top of a pile of dead bodies before they were shot and managed to survive.
We had a choice of going to visit the Knesset (parliament) or a large market and neighborhood. You may think we chose the Knesset, but we’d been there before and went to the market. The food stalls were all beautifully displayed and immaculate. The smells were wonderfully good because of the spice stalls. Our guide knew everyone there and it was a kick. We had falafel and schwarma at a small restaurant and walked the neighborhood which has small, colorful houses around a large garden or small park. There were tiny synagogues next to some of the houses each one with a story.
We headed to the hold city to visit the City of David Archaeological Park, which contains the excavations far below the level of the western wall. My 3 favorite sites were a stone with the carving saying something to the effect of “stand here to blow the shofar.” There was a grand staircase leading up to the temple mount, and a pile of large stones that remained where the Romans destroyed the temple. Our guide felt these 3 places were more significant than the western wall, which was just part of an outer wall.
Next we went into a tunnel that goes beneath the western wall. It contained ancient streets, an extension of the men’s wall, a large cistern among other sites. We excited the tunnel next to an Arab shop, with a Jewish boys’ school on top, across from a Christian church. Our guide pointed out that
Although books say that the old city is divided into 4 parts, Armenian, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, they really all are together.
Right in the old Arab quarter, we went into the Austrian Hospice. From the outside, it looks like nothing special, but you go up some stairs to a gate and enter a large, beautiful garden with a Viennese coffee bar. We had apple streudel and coffee. From the roof top, we got a spectacular view.
We briefly walked thru the Cardo, the Arab quarter, the Armenian quarter, and the Jewish quarter before heading back to Asdod.
Put Israel on your bucket list. We only scratched the surface yesterday.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Crete and Egypt
Lovely island….many parts look like California with brownish hills, olive trees, oleander—just more rocky. We shared a cab with a charming couple from South Africa via Germany—an hour drive to Knossos (you pronounce the “k” and the “o” is long. We were in a group of 7 with an English speaking guide as we toured. It was packed with tourists from all over especially Germany and Italy. We had a pushy guide, which turned out great for us. She went around “shushing” people and moving them out of areas if they stayed too long.
The line to view the palace room had a gadzillion people waiting; she went up to the front, told them we had a plane to catch, and we got right in. Most of the groups were huge! The grounds are quite extensive. Although the Minoan civilization is over 4000 years old, it had toilets and a plumbing system, skylights, and an aquaduct and water filters. They had gigantic (taller than a human) pots/vases, used as storage containers. Evidently they had potting wheels. The palace is known for its frescos, which use 4 colors: yellow, blue (lapuz lazuli), red (sea snail) and black. Women were portrayed in white and men in a rust/reddish color. They were similar to Egyptian paintings as humans were shown in profile.
Unfortunately we had limited time on Crete 8 Am-1:30 and we were unable to get to the museum, which is supposed to be outstanding.
Alexandria—80’s, humid, nice breeze
Alexandria is a very cosmopolitan city with a population of 5 million people.
Most of the women wear head coverings; many wear a burka with their faces exposed. A few wear the complete covering with only an eye slit. One of the funniest sights was a woman in a complete burka with sun glasses over her eye slits. Unlike many Muslim countries, women have the choice as to what they wear. Many of the men had on the long kaftan—I’m sure it has a special name, but I don’t know what it is.
Alexandria has a very long seashore. Today was Friday, which is like our Sunday. The beaches were packed. There are public beaches where both men and women wear clothes rather than swimsuits. We saw women in burkas in the water. On private beaches, swimsuits are worn. There is even a nude beach!
We visited the oldest mosque in Alexandria, an amazing experience. The outside is filled with men, women and children and GARBAGE. There is a men’s entrance and a women’s entrance. Of course, I was able to visit only the women’s side. After taking off our shoes, (I need to disinfect my feet)we walked inside on a carpet to see a chaotic site. Some women were praying with their heads bowed to the floor; others were sitting in chairs just talking to each other. On one side, a family sat on the ground eating a picnic. Throughout children were running around and playing. I was careful not to interrupt the group of women at prayer, but kids were running in front of them and all around. Two groups gestured that they wanted to take a picture of us with them so we 3 American women will end up on some Eyptian’s photo album or computer. I was wondering how they would feel about us in their place of prayer, but they were friendly and enjoyed watching us as we watched them. There was a wood divider with decorative slits separating the men’s side from the women’s. The men’s chanting sounded like davening (Jewish praying).
Our guide tried very hard to get us into the synagogue, but was unsuccessful. We did see it from the outside. There is a large, beautiful garden in front behind a gate. It looked as if someone took excellent care of it. The synagogue looked quite large and was very attractive, which is surprising since there are only 20 Jews in Alexandria. We were not allowed to take a picture of it.
The biggest tourist attraction In Alexandria is the Great Library, which opened about 8 years ago. It won the award for the best building (architecture) in the world, and I can understand why. Across the front is a large façade with 20 samples of ancient writing. One side faces the sea and consists of a partial globe to represent the sun and learning. It is incomplete to represent that knowledge/learning is incomplete. A huge, shallow turquoise pool lies in front—not filled with water but with some chemical solution to protect the library from the wind and sea. Inside, the library houses 8 million books—the largest library in the world surpassing the Library of Congress.
We also visited a beautiful garden with brightly colored red flame trees. We drove by a section of many little houses consisting of a single room maybe 10 ft x 10 ft. These were used to house King Farouk’s dogs. He also built a small palace just so that he could go and drink tea overlooking the water. Madame Sadat lives on the grounds and we were right outside her house. Our guide said she is often out on the balcony—but not today!
We went to the site of the Lighthouse of Alexandria,whose remains can be viewed by tourists if they dive under the sea. Nearby we went to a restaurant that had a panoramic view of Alexandria. One of the waiters was a friend of our guide. This waiter had served coffee to Begin and Sadat when they worked out/signed the peace treaty. He showed us a coin with the portraits of Cleopatra and Mark Antony—a gift to him. Our guide, who majored in archaeology, thought it was authentic and believe the only other one was in the Alexandria museum.
I cannot afford to download pictures to show you until I get to free internet probably in Turkey, but Dan has been taking a lot!
Cairo 90’s (it was 102 the day before we arrived!)
Well, I’ve seen the pyramids along the Nile (except they’re not along the Nile. I don’t need to go to Mumbai because I think Cairo (at least the part we were in) has more garbage! We were a van of 7 on a 3 hr 40 min. drive to Memphis. For a third of the way we were in a caravan of buses and other vans with armed guards. I’m not sure why as I never felt in any danger. However, as we went thru different checkpoints after leaving the caravan, I heard our guide tell the guards we were English. When I asked, “why,’” he said they would put an armed guard in our van if we were Americans Outside of Pt Said, there were groves of mango trees, many fruit stands selling mangos and watermelon artfully arranged-mangos in vertical boxes and watermelons (small round) in pyramids. We could see the ships passing thru the Suez Canal altho’ we couldn’t see the canal itself. Raising pigeons is a popular hobby. They live in very tall conical shaped concrete structures with holes in them
As we got closer to Cairo, we entered a third world country. There was much more traffic, no traffic lights or signs. We saw many people on donkeys or driving donkeys pulling carts. Most of the men were in the long dress (I think it’s called galibayah) and most of the women were in burkas altho’ their faces were uncovered. We crossed the Nile and then drove along a canal from the Nile. I have never seen so much disgusting garbage in my life! Many egrets were standing in it picking out morsels. There is also a very large section with homes that are left in disrepair with large parts missing. Our guide told us that taxes were based on the façade of the houses so they kept them that way.
Memphis had many statues found in situ. It was the least interesting of the 4 places we visited. We went to the step pyramid, which was the first pyramid in the world. There was a picture of it in the sixth grade text I used when teaching so it was thrilling to see. The pyramids ARE amazing. We climbed up a short distance. Dan and I went on a camel ride compliments of the tour company owner, my boyfriend, Geroge. It was on my “bucket” list and was lots of fun. Our camels names were Charlie Brown and Moses. On our camel ride we went to an overlook from which you could see all of Cairo. Behind us was a wonderful view of all 3 pyramids. It was hot, dusty, dirty, sandy, but a wonderful experience. Finally we visited the Sphynx, which was smaller than I thought but very lovely. There’s so much more to tell, but it’s been along day. Tomorrow is a full day in Jerusalem so Iwill see if the satellite Is up to send this, and then I’m going to go to sleep for the next big day.
Friday, July 3, 2009
tunisia
Had a great day in Tunisia. our first port after leaving Barcelona. While the ship tour for what we did was $100 plus tip/ person with a busload of people, we got a van with 9 of us for a cost of $27/person including tip and entrance fees. Delightful guide, Mohammed, who has 4 daughters. I wonder if Muslim men have a difficult time if they have no sons!
First went to the ruins of Carthage, which are in the most upscale area of town. We could see the home of the president of Tunisia from the ruins. The homes in the area are white with blue trim, and multi-hued bougenvellia cascading everywhere. Carthage was once the commercial center of the Med, possibly founded in 800 BC by the Phoenicians, destroyed by the Romans in the third of the Punic (or as one of my middle school students wrote on a test) Pubic Wars. The Romans rebuilt it. The Arabs destroyed it. It had a small museum with an exquisite white marble urn. I thought it less beautiful when I learned that it contained the bones of babies, which the Carthegians sacrificed. Not too far away were the remains of the Roman baths, a HUGE and very beautiful site overlooking the Med.
We were fortunate to get into the President’s mosque, only 8 years old but magnificent with colorful tile work, glass chandeliers, immense wooden doors with a traditional-sized smaller door in the middle. Our guide showed us the room where the men wash before prayer. At the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, they wash outside sitting on small, low benches using faucets from the wall. This one was very modern with divided compartments almost like urinals, paper towel holders, soap dispensers.
We next visited the Santorini of Tunisia, the town of Sidi Bou Said. Again we lucked out with our tour. The large buses had to park far from the main area. In our smaller van, we drove right up. The town again consists of white houses, trimmed with blue with winding streets up to a panoramic view. Many small stands selling Tunisian ware (pottery, tiles, leather goods, fake purses, silver) line the streets. There were a zillion variations of “The hand of Fatima,” which looks exactly like a hamsa (a small hand worn by both Arabs and Jews).
On the way to Tunis, the capital, we drove by the American cemetery, which looks like a smaller version of the one at Normandy, and a Roman water system, unlike any I’ve ever seen with covered humped shape structures over the water.
Tunis is a bustling, modern city with a wide tree lined boulevard, which reminded me of Nice. Women are allowed to wear modern dress as long as it’s not too bare. Probably 2/3 of the women wear the head covering The Medina houses the souk, which is a large bazaar. I bought 2 gifts after a lot of bargaining. The shop keeper told Dan that he had a “tough” wife. Dan said, “I know. I know.”
In general, Tunis is much less third world than I expected. I had heard the economy is poor, but there is a tremendous amount of construction going on and a lot of new buildings.
T