Cappadocia

After exploring Perge and Aspendos, we were taken back to Kaleici. Grabbed a delicious kebab lunch, went back to the hotel for a quick nap and showered....then off to the bus station for our journey to Cappadocia. We swapped Ankara for Cappadocia just the night before and had to make a quick booking for a hotel online.

We got on the Metro bus http://www.metroturizm.com.tr/ at the terminal and after 10 hours, reached Nevsehir, Cappadocia, just after sunrise. In Nevsehir, we transferred to one of the minibuses, all going to different places....some to Goreme and some to Urgup. We hopped into the minibus heading for Urgup. By the time we moved off, all seats and even floor of the minibus were filled....

Because it was a last minute online booking, we did not really know where we were really staying and did not even have the time to read any reviews. We just saw a nice photo of the hotel. In Urgup central we were greeted by a quiet young guy, Okan. On the way to our hotel, in his cute old car, Okan told us that we will be taken to his village, about 20 minutes out of Urgup town. It is called Ayvali Koyu.........

Ajeeen
Travelogue - Turkey Cappadocia

Perge & Aspendos

Today, I am gonna let you enjoy the photos that I took of Perge.....

and Aspendos.

Ajeeen

Travelogue - Turkey Antalya

Perge & Aspendos

We did not want to join a tour so we decided to just get on a taxi to get to Perge and Aspendos. We paid Mustafa, the taxi driver, 100YTL to take us to these two attractions. It was 0930hrs when we started our 'own tour'. First stop was Perge, about 20km from Antalya. Entry was 10YTL per adult. The Hittites had settlements in this area around 1500BC and St Paul stopped here on one of his journeys during the time when Perge was an important city of ancient Pamphylia.

The stage of the theatre has a very nice marble relief work. On the outer wall is a three-sectioned memorial fountain. Some of the reliefs from the city are displayed in the stadium for easy viewing. Other ruins worth mentioning are the handsome city gate flanked by two lofty towers, a long collonnaded street that was once lined with shops and mosaic pavements, a large agora, and buildings that used to house the baths and gymnasium.

We spent about 3 hours walking around the vicinity and taking numerous photographs. And it helped that we bumped into Mehmet, who was our accidental guide. He brought us to some 'out of bounds to tourists' area. On the hill that we went to, we could see the entire settlement. It was a great 'tour'. Thanks Mehmet Abi.

Our next destination was the ancient city of Aspendos, a site which is dominated by the bes-preserved theater of antiquity with seating for 15,000. The galleries, stage decorations and acoustics all reflect the ability of the architect Zenon. Close to the theatre, basilica and agora lie the remains of an aqueduct, one of the largest in Anatolia. This theatre is also known for holding live classical concerts.

Entry fee was also 10YTL. A guide was not really necessary as information on each ruin was displayed everywhere. And also we took our time looking for nice spots for our photo taking sessions. No one to hurry us so we just took our time. One of the plus points of not joining a group.

Ajeeen

Travelogue - Turkey Antalya Perge Aspendos

Kaleici

After the 18 hour bus ride, we checked into Alp Pasa Hotel http://www.alppasa.com/ and after a quick shower, went out to explore Kaleici. This quaint area surrounding the Kaleici Marina is full of small hotels, pensions and restaurants as well as restored houses that all help to create the atmosphere for which the city is famous.

We then went to the Clock Tower which was situated by the ancient city walls, part of the old city fortifications in the Kalekapisi Square. There was also Hadrian's Gate, the beautifully decorated, three-arched gate of white marble, built in honour of Hadrian when he visited the city in 130 A.D. In just the Kaleici area, we could find many historical sites and monuments. It was definitely a great place to stay in.

After lunch, we made our way to Kaleici Marina. We decided to take a 45 minute boat ride from the marina. Normally, it will cost about 5YTL per person and do be careful of some cheats who will mark up the price to 40YTL per person. Just take your time and walk along the harbor to ask for the prices. Never believe the first boat company you enquire. The ride took us along the shoreline and if you are lucky, the pilot will go nearer into the caves and waterfall located just around the area.

All around the ancient walls are some nice cafes and we had drinks while enjoying the view of west Antalya while the sun was setting. Then made our way back to the hotel for a scrumptious buffet dinner by the pool. It was a peaceful atmosphere with the sound of the piano being played by the in-house entertainer.

Sanliurfa to Antalya

The old city of Sanliurfa is definitely different from the other cities in Turkey that I have visited.

Our next destination after Sanliurfa is Antalya. There are no direct flights there so we had to take a coach which took us 18 hours. Yes ladies and gentlemen, you read correctly...18 solid hours. The hotel manager at Cevahir Konukevi was kind enough to book our bus tickets. We got on the Urfa Cesur Turizm http://urfacesur.com/ bus and paid 40YTL per person. It is the best and most reliable bus company in Sanliurfa, we were told.

Fortunately the ride was comfortable but there were more stops than expected so our sleep were interrupted. Other than that, it was actually a good ride. We had enough sleep by the time we reach scenic Mediterranean Coast. The journey on by the coast was scenic and the beautiful turquoise sea was tempting. More stops as we picked up and dropped off our fellow passengers. And by the time we reached Antalya bus terminal, it was already 11am. We transferred to a taxi which took us to our hotel, Alp Pasa http://www.alppasa.com/ . It is located in Kaleici, the heart of the city, next to a harbour which now shelters vessels both sleek and seedy.

The first time I was in Antalya was about 10 years ago. And I remembered Kaleici to be a very nice old place, with kids running along the streets. And the bread sellers on old bicycles, honking away, trying to attract the housewives' attention into buying the freshly baked bread. And the cobbled streets were full with Turks selling their carpets and souvenirs.

I am a little disappointed now because Kaleici is so commercialized. I find more foreigners like Russians and Germans selling in the shops than the locals. Foreigners selling properties to other foreigners in Antalya. Cobbled streets changed to bricks and most old houses demolished to make way for more boutique hotels. Changes are good but in this case, the old charm is forever lost. Alp Pasa Hotel went through some changes too but not too drastic. They have added new annexes to the main old building and its bigger, with more rooms. Their rooms are named after old sultans and i think thats cool. In my next blog, i will write more about Antalya and its surroundings.

Still in Sanliurfa

Sanliurfa province is in southeast Turkey. We visited the Mevlidi Halil (Prophet Abraham's Cave) Two caves exist on the northern side of the Castle of Sanliurfa and one of these, was where the Prophet was born. The climb up to the Castle is a must. It cost about 2YTL to get in the old Castle. We could see the whole town and it was definitely a place to hang out to enjoy a magnificient view.

The ponds of the sacred carp is located in the center of Sanliurfa, teeming with tens of thousands of holy carp, and bound by trees and a mosque complex. Around the compound of the Birket Ibrahim Mosque, you can also find a bazaar selling scarves, carpets and little souvenirs. They may not be as fantastic as the ones in Istanbul, but if you look hard enough, you may find little treasures among the many things sold there. For tourists, the streets of old Sanliurfa, with their overhanging medieval houses and warren-like bazaars, are the greatest attraction, but there are, inevitably, several interesting old mosques and a good local Archaeological Museum.

Sanliurfa

After our tour, we were brought back to our hotel where we had a hearty breakfast. Then we went back to the room to pack and get ready to leave for Sanliurfa, a city an hour from Adiyaman http://www.enjoyturkey.com/info/sights/sanliurfa.htm . We took a dolmus (shared taxi) and paid 10YTL each person. It was a comfortable ride and better than we expected. We passed beautiful sceneries and Ataturk Dam, the fourth largest dam in the world. The dolmus took us straight to the Central of Sanliurfa and from there we took a taxi to our Cevahir Konukevi , http://www.cevahirkonukevi.com/default_uk.asp formerly known as The Governor's Guesthouse. It is located within walking distance to the places of interest.

Adiyaman and beyond

Other than Mount Nemrut, we also visited Arsemeia, east of the Kahta River, 63 km from Adiyaman. A relief stele of Mithridates, king of the Commagene, stands on the ceremonial road of the city. There is also the Cendere Bridge, an ancient bridge located 55km from Adiyamana and northeast of Karakus Hill. this structure was constructed during the period of Roman Emperor Septimus Severu, built with 92 large stones and has a large and small arches.

Another place we visited was the Karakus Tepesi. The name Karakus comes from an eagle statue that stands on a 2.54 meter high column. These tours were included in the 200YTL.

If you have only two days, I highly recommend that you stay in Adiyaman Central, stay in Bozdogan Hotel and take the tour organized by the hotel. You will still pay 200YTL whether its for 2 or 6 people because you pay 'by the minibus', and not per-head basis.

Adiyaman

Sorry for stopping abruptly on my last post...I had to leave for Hong Kong. Anyway, yes we were at the lobby at 2.30am sharp and our guide cum driver, Evren, was already waiting, dressed just in jeans and a white cotton shirt....hmmmm...'Were we over-layered?' we thought. We were in thermal, long sleeved t-shirt, shirt, cashmere sweaters and scarves. In our hands were jackets and one thick hotel blanket....yes, definitely over-layered. So, we started our journey to Kahta www.allaboutturkey.com/kahta.htm , a 45-minute drive away from our hotel. The road got bumpier after that and we were lucky because Evren was doing daily tours to Mount Nemrut www.allaboutturkey.com/adiyaman.htm , so he knew the roads well. We stopped for tea in a small cafe for about 30 minutes before carrying on our drive.

And finally when we reached the place where we were to start our climb, it was 4am and Evren advised us to have a 30 minute snooze as it was still early. He planned for us to reach the summit just a few minutes before the sun rise as he did not want us to wait too long in the harsh wind. He planned it perfectly as we found out later.

When we saw Evren reaching for his jacket and blanket, we knew it was time. We got our final layerings on and off we went. It was a windy morning and it was blowing against us. It was a terrible climb for me, because of both the altitude and strong wind. I had difficulty breathing halfway through and Evren had to literally drag me up all the way to the top. Thank God for him or else I do not think I would have made it. Once we were up, he chose a spot just behind a wall, to protect us from the wind, to wait for the sun to rise. As we were waiting, other groups of tourists started streaming in. We realized we had the best view, as well as, protection. Thanks for everything, Evren.

We just sat there quietly, enjoying every moment of the sun rising. No words came out of my mouth....either due to the beauty of mother nature or just from pure exhaustion hahaha. But it was worth the climb. Simply breathtaking, but due to the coldness, my photos did not really turn out well and i only realized, that I did not have my picture taken up there, upon my return to Singapore......sigh.....

Turkey

Over the past 12 years, I have been to Turkey nine times. On each visit, I add a different city to my itinerary. Why Turkey you ask? Well, it was love at first sight. The country, the history, the culture and the people, of course....everything fascinates me. So here in ajeeen-travelogue, I hope to bring Turkey to you. And do check out some Turkish products on sale on http://www.ajeeen.com/

I spent my first day in Istanbul, visiting close friends. And in the evening, we made our way from Eminonu to Uskudar by ferryboat, just in time to watch the sunset at Kiz Kulesi. We drank sahlep and ate toast with sausage, roasted tomato and mayonnaise fillings. Just a simple dinner while enjoying the magnificient view.

The next day, we took a flight to Adiyaman www.adiyamanli.org/main . It is located on the eastern side of Turkey and it took about 1hr 50mins by plane. After our arrival, we took an old airport bus, which was waiting outside the arrival hall, to the city centre. We had to change to another bus to get us to Bozdogan hotel. The hotel is clean and nice, with a pool and a big dining area.

After check-in, we walked around the area to look for a tour agency to book for our tour of Mount Nemrut, but none was available. So we decided to just book with the hotel. It cost us 200YTL for a van and driver cum guide. We were told to be at the hotel lobby at 2.30am. Oh my God!! 2.30am??