Monday, September 29, 2008
The Lycian Way
Hello All... Just a quick note to say that I am now in Fethıye after hiking for three days on the ancient Lycian Way, an age old trail that winds across much of Turkey. I am travelling with two Belgians and an Ozzie at the minute; friendships form fast and navitating new places seems easier in some ways with a group! We are totally exhausted after our 3rd and longest day on the trail... I will get pıcs up as I can because the stretch we hiked was just remarkable. off to bed with me but best wishes to everyone!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Olympos
Hello! Here are pictures from my 3 days in Olympos, the tiny backpacker haven on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Please be sure to see the next post as well; I just added another section on Cappadocia. I am now in the town of Kas, about 4 hours West of Olympos. I've teamed up with a couple of Belgians and we hope to hike a historic section of the Lycian way... an ancient trade route through Turkey. The trip should take 3 days and ends near the city of Fethiye. Thank you for reading!
Olympos is a village built in a deep canyon close to a pebble beach which fronts the ruins of an Roman town dating to the 2nd century CE. This place is full of backpackers from all over the world, though it seems every other person you meet is an Ozzie! I've tried to capture the beach and the ruins, and though you may not see them here there are actually a lot of visitors. People are really cool though, this is not your normal big-spending tourist spot.
I will try to write more later, but I hope you find the pictures interesting.
New friends hanging at the beach
Photos taken from a ruined Byzantine castle on the cliff, dating to the middle ages.
The Roman ruins, circa 2nd century ce
Roman theatre, now in disrepair
Roman temple
A shot of my dorm, which I shared with 3 Australians. The pension is set amid groves of orange trees.
Olympos is a village built in a deep canyon close to a pebble beach which fronts the ruins of an Roman town dating to the 2nd century CE. This place is full of backpackers from all over the world, though it seems every other person you meet is an Ozzie! I've tried to capture the beach and the ruins, and though you may not see them here there are actually a lot of visitors. People are really cool though, this is not your normal big-spending tourist spot.
I will try to write more later, but I hope you find the pictures interesting.
New friends hanging at the beach
Photos taken from a ruined Byzantine castle on the cliff, dating to the middle ages.
The Roman ruins, circa 2nd century ceRoman theatre, now in disrepair
Roman temple
A shot of my dorm, which I shared with 3 Australians. The pension is set amid groves of orange trees.Despite the beautiful scenery, sometimes I feel very alone way over here in a new country. I have my moments of feeling really scared about the basics- where to go, where to stay, what to eat, how to buy new soap, which bus to take, how much is a good price, and the list goes on. One night I can feel very much a part of a newfound group of friends.... and the next afternoon they've gone and suddenly I remember where I am and that I've never done anything like this before and think I must be totally crazy for doing this to myself and feel so totally alone. But then, I just say "Ok, lets stick it out a little longer and maybe I'll feel better"... just be with the feeling. I try to remember that I am never really alone; I carry many friends inside all the time, and many carry me also... and there is peace in that knowing. And you know, after awhile something happens, I meet someone new, a stranger does a favor, someone smiles in my direction... and I begin to feel better. Its the little things that are the miracles: I sit down with another lone traveller, and he happens to be from Portland (the only one in the region, by my estimate!). A group invites me to join them for a meal. I am offered a ride so I dont have to walk. A new friend explains backgammon. A shopkeeper takes time to chat. There are many wonderful people out there, and for their grace I am forever grateful.
A little more Cappadocia
Greetings! As I write I am now in the city of Kaş and far from the Anatolian region that contains the gem that is Cappadocia . However I would like to add a few more pictures from that experience. Keeping a blog while on the move in a new country takes determination, I am finding! I've met at least one traveller who hasn't posted to his blog since July 30th... but I will do my best not to go that long!
Views from the ride. Sometimes I just cant quite believe Im doing what Im doing- and that scootsıe ride was one of those times. It was surreal to be whızzing along a landscape that might as well be mars on a 90 cc 'popcorn' scooter, as it was called. I remember so clearly being a child and wishing like heck that I could have my own motorscooter... and as I rode around Cappadocia I still felt lıke I must be breaking some kind of parental rule! Sometimes it is good to grow up, at least on the outside.
I rode to the nearby town of Uchisar. This is where I encountered one of my most memorable moments thus far in my trip: While buzzing down a windy cobblestone street, I looked ahead to see a small mosque on the corner about a block and a half in front of me. At just that moment a large crowd emerged from the mosque with men carrying a casket on their shoulders. I ımmediately killed the engine and came to a stop, not wanting to disturb the procession as the body was loaded into a large van. As I looked at my map while waiting for things to clear up, I heard a woman's voice calling from a nearby doorway. İ looked up as a kindly woman approached me. She was dressed in the headscarf and ornately-patterned dress that is typical for this area; Turks are of course a Muslim people, and nearly all women in this area follow the more traditional code of dress (as compared to the more liberal Istanbul). She asked if I was lost and whether I needed help, with very good English I might add. I pointed and replıed that I was just waiting for the funeral to take ıts course. Then we got to talking.
I love architecture and she informed me that her building, which is now an upscale bar with very fine wine, was built by the Greeks 250 years ago. She invited me in and we spent the next hour having a simply wonderful conversation. She served me Turkish tea (and wouldn't let me pay) as we discussed everything from local culture to the fabulous American Blues that were singing through the arched stone structure. She plays Latin music in the morning, Blues in the afternoon, and Jazz at night... how great to come across the world and hear John Lee Hooker while sipping tea in Turkey's Cappadocia!
Moments like these are the best. Despite all our apparent cultural and geographic differences, I very strongly feel that Emine (the owner's name) and I connected simply as human beings. And the music helped, of course! It hit me just then how very similar we all are- us humans. For all the media hype and violent imagery and misunderstanding... we are still people first. And if you dont believe me, I now know a great little spot in Ugrup where you can find out. Emine's place is called "Ailanpa" Cafe and Wine House Tel 0 384 341 69 72 and if you ever find yourself in Cappadocia I highly reccomend you look it up!
Thats the place on the right side of the street.
More Cappadocia
My Hostel, in Turkey often called "Pensions". These usually less expensive than hotels, and you share a room or dorm with other travellers. Hostel culture is very laid back and pensions are a great place to meet other folks on the road. And people are going everywhere... so making friends not only fulfills the need for company but also for relevant and important information. Chances are somebody has recently been where you're hoping to go, and can offer up a few bits of wisdom.
The famous kebab stand. Rare in the US, but a staple in Turkey... and also common in Australia and parts of Europe.
I just thought this rock looked like a monster with all the lights... ;)
Looking out from the rock monastery at Selime
The 'Star Wars' formations, also from Selime
Pigeon Valley, with a view of Uchısar to the left, which is above Goreme. I hiked down this valley with a couple of adventurous New Yorkers. I think this place ıs Pigeon Heaven... locals encourage the birds to roost in caves of the valley, then collect the guano to use as fertilızer and also a kind of paste for the base layer of murals.
Mt Hasan, whose eruptions once carved the Ilhara Valley, pictured in my last post
Oh yeah! I rented a scooter... and it was FUN! Never mind that I was the only one out wearing a helmet- the locals are much more daring. Its OK, I can take a few stares...
Views from the ride. Sometimes I just cant quite believe Im doing what Im doing- and that scootsıe ride was one of those times. It was surreal to be whızzing along a landscape that might as well be mars on a 90 cc 'popcorn' scooter, as it was called. I remember so clearly being a child and wishing like heck that I could have my own motorscooter... and as I rode around Cappadocia I still felt lıke I must be breaking some kind of parental rule! Sometimes it is good to grow up, at least on the outside.
I rode to the nearby town of Uchisar. This is where I encountered one of my most memorable moments thus far in my trip: While buzzing down a windy cobblestone street, I looked ahead to see a small mosque on the corner about a block and a half in front of me. At just that moment a large crowd emerged from the mosque with men carrying a casket on their shoulders. I ımmediately killed the engine and came to a stop, not wanting to disturb the procession as the body was loaded into a large van. As I looked at my map while waiting for things to clear up, I heard a woman's voice calling from a nearby doorway. İ looked up as a kindly woman approached me. She was dressed in the headscarf and ornately-patterned dress that is typical for this area; Turks are of course a Muslim people, and nearly all women in this area follow the more traditional code of dress (as compared to the more liberal Istanbul). She asked if I was lost and whether I needed help, with very good English I might add. I pointed and replıed that I was just waiting for the funeral to take ıts course. Then we got to talking.I love architecture and she informed me that her building, which is now an upscale bar with very fine wine, was built by the Greeks 250 years ago. She invited me in and we spent the next hour having a simply wonderful conversation. She served me Turkish tea (and wouldn't let me pay) as we discussed everything from local culture to the fabulous American Blues that were singing through the arched stone structure. She plays Latin music in the morning, Blues in the afternoon, and Jazz at night... how great to come across the world and hear John Lee Hooker while sipping tea in Turkey's Cappadocia!
Moments like these are the best. Despite all our apparent cultural and geographic differences, I very strongly feel that Emine (the owner's name) and I connected simply as human beings. And the music helped, of course! It hit me just then how very similar we all are- us humans. For all the media hype and violent imagery and misunderstanding... we are still people first. And if you dont believe me, I now know a great little spot in Ugrup where you can find out. Emine's place is called "Ailanpa" Cafe and Wine House Tel 0 384 341 69 72 and if you ever find yourself in Cappadocia I highly reccomend you look it up!
Thats the place on the right side of the street.
More Cappadocia
My Hostel, in Turkey often called "Pensions". These usually less expensive than hotels, and you share a room or dorm with other travellers. Hostel culture is very laid back and pensions are a great place to meet other folks on the road. And people are going everywhere... so making friends not only fulfills the need for company but also for relevant and important information. Chances are somebody has recently been where you're hoping to go, and can offer up a few bits of wisdom.New friends... that's James on the left, he's from Ireland, and then two American girls from New York circling the globe in 4 months. If you're feeling nervous about getting out and going somewhere, Im finding that there's no better inspiration than meeting people who have been on the road for months and plan to be out for many more. Yesterday in Olympos I met and Ozzie who was halfway thru his world tour... and he'd been gone 6 months!
The famous kebab stand. Rare in the US, but a staple in Turkey... and also common in Australia and parts of Europe.
I just thought this rock looked like a monster with all the lights... ;)Saturday, September 20, 2008
The magical land of Cappadocia
Hello! Here you will find a number of images that I have taken during the last 48 hours. I am staying in the town of Goreme but took a day long tour yesterday to a number of fascinating nearby sites. You wouldn't believe how difficult it can be to transfer, edit, and compress photographs while using the typical internet cafe computer. I've sacrificed time for photos instead of writing more text, so I hope you can get a sense of where I am thru image rather than words. As I can I will fill this post in with descriptions and a bit of history. I hope you enjoy...
Goreme from a plateau. Famous for its numerous "fairy chimneys", Goreme is a special place where a booming but low-key tourist industry seems to live side by side with a very traditional local village culture. The unique landscape is due to great amounts of ash from nearby volcanoes that was later covered with a harder layer of rock. \The harder rocks provided protection from erosion for the softer ashen rock underneath, thus creating these amazing "fairy chimneys".
Beginning around 2 bc, the Hittites began to carve dwellings in the soft ash, both for storage and protection. Later, Christians would create churches, dwellings, and more in the soft rock. They also used these unique structures for protection from first the Romans and later from armies of the Muslim conquests in the 9th and 10th centuries. Today people live in some, and many are reserved for local flocks of pigeons, the guano of which is collected and used for fertilizer. Beautiful, yes?
The town of Uchusar, just up from Goreme. The "castle" supposedly holds an empty roman tomb on top... I hope to go there tomorrow via motorscooter. We hiked down the canyon back to Goreme- what a view!
Good luck, hung on a tree!
These caves are in a nearby town... they go 8 floors down! Used by Hittites and later Christians as both storage areas... and for protection from raids. I will write more later on this...
Below is the Monastery at Selim. It dates to the 2nd century and used to be a stop for travelling caravans (camels).
Near Selime... Some say the opening scenes of Star Wars were filmed here... somebody watch it and tell me what you think!
Ilhana Gorge, carved by eruptions of a nearby volcano.
Goreme from a plateau. Famous for its numerous "fairy chimneys", Goreme is a special place where a booming but low-key tourist industry seems to live side by side with a very traditional local village culture. The unique landscape is due to great amounts of ash from nearby volcanoes that was later covered with a harder layer of rock. \The harder rocks provided protection from erosion for the softer ashen rock underneath, thus creating these amazing "fairy chimneys".
Beginning around 2 bc, the Hittites began to carve dwellings in the soft ash, both for storage and protection. Later, Christians would create churches, dwellings, and more in the soft rock. They also used these unique structures for protection from first the Romans and later from armies of the Muslim conquests in the 9th and 10th centuries. Today people live in some, and many are reserved for local flocks of pigeons, the guano of which is collected and used for fertilizer. Beautiful, yes?
The town of Uchusar, just up from Goreme. The "castle" supposedly holds an empty roman tomb on top... I hope to go there tomorrow via motorscooter. We hiked down the canyon back to Goreme- what a view!
Good luck, hung on a tree!
These caves are in a nearby town... they go 8 floors down! Used by Hittites and later Christians as both storage areas... and for protection from raids. I will write more later on this...Below is the Monastery at Selim. It dates to the 2nd century and used to be a stop for travelling caravans (camels).
Near Selime... Some say the opening scenes of Star Wars were filmed here... somebody watch it and tell me what you think!
Ilhana Gorge, carved by eruptions of a nearby volcano.1,000 year old frescos in the Christian churces carved into the stone hillsides near Goreme
Looking up at Uchusar from near Goreme. The sun sets behind the castle... truly amazing.
Looking up at Uchusar from near Goreme. The sun sets behind the castle... truly amazing. Hope everyone is well... Ill do my best to keep you up to date. There's so much I want to say but I hope for now the pictures can give you an idea of what the magical place is like. Blessings!
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