We caught the overnight bus from Olympos to Cappadocia and I will never do it again. The bus and the drive was fine but with a stop every two hours you get absolutely no sleep.
We arrived into Goreme at 6.00am and to our surprise it was cold. Well fresh anyway. We had just come from Olympos which had been about 32*C and now we were in Goreme with 15*C and a cool breeze. We were staying at the Travellers Cave Pension which was actually built into one of the many rock formations that Cappodicia is know for. That afternoon we went to the number one tourist site, the Open Air Museum. It was interesting to see but nothing like what I thought it was going to be. The Open Air Museum is filled with houses, churches, and living areas of the inhabitants from 1600 years ago. They were trying to escape Roman persecution at the time so they all made their homes and the rock formations. I thought the museum was going to be more of the natural rock formations and no so much on the houses built inside. On the way home we took a little detour off the road and found a very picturesque area known as "Love Valley". It got it's name from the rock formations that resemble giant penises. Go figure.
The next day we just took a wander around the small town and took it all in at a very relaxed pace. I think the one thing that we both loved the most about Goreme is that it had a very Australian feel to it strangely enough. The air and temperature had an Australian winter kind of feel which gave it a very homely feeling.
The next day we flew back to Istanbul for one night and then off to Cairo Egypt on the 13th September 2008. My second time.
Olympos
Well I wasn't sure what to expect from Olympos. I had this vision of hippies everywhere and a few small ruins near a beach. But I must say it was one of my favourite spots in Turkey.
We arrived into Olympos in the afternoon by bus from Kas. The trip itself took about 4 hours but this time we managed to score a bus with the air conditioning working. Our accommodation for the next two nights was a little place called Bayrams Tree House. Everything in Olympos can only be made out of wood as they are trying no to spoil the beauty of the area with an huge high rises. This is the reason that most of the accommodation in Olympos are tree houses. When we arrived to Bayrams we were greeted with one of the most relaxing looking spots we had seen on our whole trip. There was a small wooden bar that looked out over wooden decks filled with cushions, shaded by trees. There was some nice, relaxing music playing as well which to our surprise was mostly Australian like Crowded House and Powderfinger. After being shown around we finally made it to our own private bungalow. That afternoon we made the mandatory 3 Lira to walk through the ruins to access the beach. WOW! It was paradise (except for the rocks on the beach in place of sand). The water was so blue, the beach relative empty, and the whole sight was overlooked by mountains that were spattered with ruins.
The next day we decided we would walk to the other famous attraction that Olympos has to offer, the Chimaera flames. These have been around since ancient times and are part of old Legends. They are some natural flames that leap up from the rocky surface. Even if you put them out, as soon as they hit the oxygen again they spark back up. We decided to walk as there was some conflicting information from the various guidebooks that we had that made us think it was just down the road. After a 7 kilometers walk up hill in 45*C heat with no water I can tell you for a fact that they are too far to walk to! Worth the visit though and I'm glad we suffered through it but next time I would pay the $15 and be driven there.
The rest of our time was spent checking out the ruins, swimming, drinking beer and eating the all inclusive meals which were fantastic.
We arrived into Olympos in the afternoon by bus from Kas. The trip itself took about 4 hours but this time we managed to score a bus with the air conditioning working. Our accommodation for the next two nights was a little place called Bayrams Tree House. Everything in Olympos can only be made out of wood as they are trying no to spoil the beauty of the area with an huge high rises. This is the reason that most of the accommodation in Olympos are tree houses. When we arrived to Bayrams we were greeted with one of the most relaxing looking spots we had seen on our whole trip. There was a small wooden bar that looked out over wooden decks filled with cushions, shaded by trees. There was some nice, relaxing music playing as well which to our surprise was mostly Australian like Crowded House and Powderfinger. After being shown around we finally made it to our own private bungalow. That afternoon we made the mandatory 3 Lira to walk through the ruins to access the beach. WOW! It was paradise (except for the rocks on the beach in place of sand). The water was so blue, the beach relative empty, and the whole sight was overlooked by mountains that were spattered with ruins.
The next day we decided we would walk to the other famous attraction that Olympos has to offer, the Chimaera flames. These have been around since ancient times and are part of old Legends. They are some natural flames that leap up from the rocky surface. Even if you put them out, as soon as they hit the oxygen again they spark back up. We decided to walk as there was some conflicting information from the various guidebooks that we had that made us think it was just down the road. After a 7 kilometers walk up hill in 45*C heat with no water I can tell you for a fact that they are too far to walk to! Worth the visit though and I'm glad we suffered through it but next time I would pay the $15 and be driven there.
The rest of our time was spent checking out the ruins, swimming, drinking beer and eating the all inclusive meals which were fantastic.
Kas
We spent three days in Kas which unfortunately didn't live up to our expectations. I guess we always envisioned ourselves kicking back on the beach and just chilling out, but as it turned out Kas is far too hot for any outdoor activities at all. The days were climbing up to a staggering 45*C and that was in the shade. We did do one of our planned day trips which was kayaking over the sunken city and around a few islands which was fun and a complete full day but just for the future if someone tells you that kayaking 6 kilometers needs no experience and any fitness level can do it then they are flat out lying. There wasn't that much time for a swim or a rest and the sunken city was not much more than a two or three house foundations partially submerged.
Istanbul
Well I've only been in Istanbul for 3 days but I think I could already rank Turkey as one of my favourite countries ever. Istanbul is just amazing. There is so much history here that makes it hard to decide what to see and what we will have to give up due to time restraints.
We arrived into Istanbul on the morning of the 26th August and can I just say, what a f#%ker of a trip. We did the overnight train from Thessaloniki and it took forever, not to mention our very small and cosy sleeper that we had. We left Thessaloniki at 7.37pm and after a few hours of sitting side by side looking out the window we decided to call it a night at about 9.00pm. We were then woken at about 2.30 by a Greek boarder guard. After handing our passports over for a check we were back off about 3 minutes later. When then snuggled back into our cosy little beds only to woken another 45 minutes down the road but this time by a Turkish boarder guard. This process took a little longer. We hung around for 1.5 hours waiting on them to bring our passports back and deal with a stow away on the train. At about 5.00 am the train was allowed to leave and we finally arrived into Istanbul station at about 10.00am.
Our hostel is the Antique Hostel which is a little bit expensive (100 AUD) but it really is in the best spot, located in SultanAmhet just down the road from the Blue Mosque. So far we've been in and around the Blue Mosque, the amazing Aya Sophia, Topkapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar & the Roman Cistern which dates from the Byzantine era built in the 5 hundreds. This place was really cool actually and a bit of a surprise as we didn't know what to expect but it was quite amazing for a water storage shelter to the palace.
I was always looking forward to Turkey and thought it would be a great place but after only 3 days it really has blown me away. The people are possibly the nicest people in the world. I don't think I've had so many P & Q's and definitely not in any Muslim country. What a wonderfully magical place it is and I can't help to be exited for the rest of the trip.
We arrived into Istanbul on the morning of the 26th August and can I just say, what a f#%ker of a trip. We did the overnight train from Thessaloniki and it took forever, not to mention our very small and cosy sleeper that we had. We left Thessaloniki at 7.37pm and after a few hours of sitting side by side looking out the window we decided to call it a night at about 9.00pm. We were then woken at about 2.30 by a Greek boarder guard. After handing our passports over for a check we were back off about 3 minutes later. When then snuggled back into our cosy little beds only to woken another 45 minutes down the road but this time by a Turkish boarder guard. This process took a little longer. We hung around for 1.5 hours waiting on them to bring our passports back and deal with a stow away on the train. At about 5.00 am the train was allowed to leave and we finally arrived into Istanbul station at about 10.00am.
Our hostel is the Antique Hostel which is a little bit expensive (100 AUD) but it really is in the best spot, located in SultanAmhet just down the road from the Blue Mosque. So far we've been in and around the Blue Mosque, the amazing Aya Sophia, Topkapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar & the Roman Cistern which dates from the Byzantine era built in the 5 hundreds. This place was really cool actually and a bit of a surprise as we didn't know what to expect but it was quite amazing for a water storage shelter to the palace.
I was always looking forward to Turkey and thought it would be a great place but after only 3 days it really has blown me away. The people are possibly the nicest people in the world. I don't think I've had so many P & Q's and definitely not in any Muslim country. What a wonderfully magical place it is and I can't help to be exited for the rest of the trip.
Canakkale
Well at the moment we are in Canakkale which is 5 hours or so south of Istanbul. We got on a ferry early in the morning from Istanbul to Bandirma & from there we caught a 2.5 hour bus all the way to our hostel. We were booked into the Hotel Efes but after spending a little more than we wanted in Istanbul we decided to stay at the slightly cheaper ANZAC Hostel right on the water front.
Today we got up at 6.00am and jumped on another ferry but this time is was across the Dardanelles to the small town of Eceabat on the way to Gallipoli. After getting the bus across the peninsula to the small museum we decided to walk to ANZAC cove which we had read was a nice walk 5 kilometer walk. The road just winds along the coast front through the exceptionally green pine trees. All of a sudden you start seeing bunkers up on the hill and then in the sand dunes and then just out in the open on the beach and rocky outcrops. I wasn't really expecting to feel anything from my visit to Gallipoli but I must say I found it quite sad & touching as we read all the plaques, stories and finally the long list of names of those who had died in action. We were the only ones at each site as well so there was a kind of eerie silence as the wind whistled though the trees. As I looked at the names and ages of the Australians who fought and died I couldn't help but to think that if I was alive back in 1915 it could of possibly been me. After seeing ANZAC Cove ^ the area where the service is every year as well as Lone Pine memorial I really think Gallipoli should be on every Australians must visit list.
That afternoon we decided we decided to try to make it to the fabled city of Troy which just happened to be a 35 minute drive south of Canakkale & 3 hours from where we were in Gallipoli. After waiting for the bus that never turned up we decided to start walking and hitch a ride to the ferry terminal. After about 500 meters of walking the third car we flagged pulled up and happily let us in the back of their van even though they spoke no English at all. We managed to get our destination across to them and before we knew it we were back in Eceabat catching the ferry.
Once we got to Troy we had about 2 hours until the last bus. After reading about the stories of Homers Iliad and seeing the big screen epic, I think Troy has been a highlight for me. As crazy as that may sound to a lot of people it is a very cool place. There are 9 different cities that have been uncovered at the sight so it can be a little confusing which Troy you are looking at but the very well posted signs make it all a lot easier. There is still strong debate about whether it's Troy VI or Troy VII that is the on from Homers stories but either way I could help but think about the amazing history that possibly played out here. I just wished we had more time to explore it properly.
The next day we caught a 38 YTR ($38AUD) bus to Selcuk which took a very tiring 8 hours.
Today we got up at 6.00am and jumped on another ferry but this time is was across the Dardanelles to the small town of Eceabat on the way to Gallipoli. After getting the bus across the peninsula to the small museum we decided to walk to ANZAC cove which we had read was a nice walk 5 kilometer walk. The road just winds along the coast front through the exceptionally green pine trees. All of a sudden you start seeing bunkers up on the hill and then in the sand dunes and then just out in the open on the beach and rocky outcrops. I wasn't really expecting to feel anything from my visit to Gallipoli but I must say I found it quite sad & touching as we read all the plaques, stories and finally the long list of names of those who had died in action. We were the only ones at each site as well so there was a kind of eerie silence as the wind whistled though the trees. As I looked at the names and ages of the Australians who fought and died I couldn't help but to think that if I was alive back in 1915 it could of possibly been me. After seeing ANZAC Cove ^ the area where the service is every year as well as Lone Pine memorial I really think Gallipoli should be on every Australians must visit list.
That afternoon we decided we decided to try to make it to the fabled city of Troy which just happened to be a 35 minute drive south of Canakkale & 3 hours from where we were in Gallipoli. After waiting for the bus that never turned up we decided to start walking and hitch a ride to the ferry terminal. After about 500 meters of walking the third car we flagged pulled up and happily let us in the back of their van even though they spoke no English at all. We managed to get our destination across to them and before we knew it we were back in Eceabat catching the ferry.
Once we got to Troy we had about 2 hours until the last bus. After reading about the stories of Homers Iliad and seeing the big screen epic, I think Troy has been a highlight for me. As crazy as that may sound to a lot of people it is a very cool place. There are 9 different cities that have been uncovered at the sight so it can be a little confusing which Troy you are looking at but the very well posted signs make it all a lot easier. There is still strong debate about whether it's Troy VI or Troy VII that is the on from Homers stories but either way I could help but think about the amazing history that possibly played out here. I just wished we had more time to explore it properly.
The next day we caught a 38 YTR ($38AUD) bus to Selcuk which took a very tiring 8 hours.
Selcuk & Ephesus
We arrived into Ephesus at about4.00pm in the afternoon after a very tiring 8 hour bus ride. Our hotel is called Jimmy's Place which comes highly recommended from most of the guide books and is only a short walk from the bus station. Upon arrival there was some confusion with our booking. The confusion was that Hostelbookers didn't book it even though we paid them for it. After some discussion with the slight piffed (at Hostelbookers) owner Jimmy we settled into our room. The first evening was just spent at a delicious Turkish Home Cooking restaurant enjoying some Kofta and rice. It was good. Our arrival day was the 1st of September which was the first day of Ramadan but that didn't stop the restaurant offering us beer which we happily accepted.
The next morning we got up early for a 5 kilometer walk to the ruins of Ephesus. We arrived at about 9.00am and to our surprise we weren't the only ones. Now we're not stupid enough to think that we would be the only ones at the sight but we were unaware that there would be 10 groups from every cruise ship in the area, especially at this time of the morning. Ephesus is big. It stretches over about 2 kilometers and is full of ruined houses, churches, streets, libraries, brothels and ampitheathers. The 2 most impressive sights for me was the Theater which is huge and by far the biggest I have ever seen as well as the library. The front facade of the library still stands complete with it's replica statues and inscriptions. Just trying to get an video or a photo with no one in it is an impossible feat though.
We also went to see another sight near by called The Cave of The Seven Sleepers which is about 7 men who were given some time to recant their faith, but instead gave their worldly goods to the poor and retired to a mountain to pray, where they fell asleep. The Roman emperor at the time sealed them in the cave and apparently they just feel asleep. 120 years later a cattle farmer opened the cave and the men miraculously woke up and headed back to Ephesus to be shocked that all the building supported the cross and that Christianity was an accepted faith now. Crazy huh.
The next morning we got up early for a 5 kilometer walk to the ruins of Ephesus. We arrived at about 9.00am and to our surprise we weren't the only ones. Now we're not stupid enough to think that we would be the only ones at the sight but we were unaware that there would be 10 groups from every cruise ship in the area, especially at this time of the morning. Ephesus is big. It stretches over about 2 kilometers and is full of ruined houses, churches, streets, libraries, brothels and ampitheathers. The 2 most impressive sights for me was the Theater which is huge and by far the biggest I have ever seen as well as the library. The front facade of the library still stands complete with it's replica statues and inscriptions. Just trying to get an video or a photo with no one in it is an impossible feat though.
We also went to see another sight near by called The Cave of The Seven Sleepers which is about 7 men who were given some time to recant their faith, but instead gave their worldly goods to the poor and retired to a mountain to pray, where they fell asleep. The Roman emperor at the time sealed them in the cave and apparently they just feel asleep. 120 years later a cattle farmer opened the cave and the men miraculously woke up and headed back to Ephesus to be shocked that all the building supported the cross and that Christianity was an accepted faith now. Crazy huh.
Pamukkale
A last minute switch brought us to the town of Pamukkale. I didn't think we were going to get out to see the famous white travertines but we decided to stop over on the way to Kas. The travertines themselves really are just a shadow of their former selves. They have pretty much all but dried up except for a few man made one which they have no opened for public swimming so I guess they are trying to wreck them as well. It's funny to see the picture on all the postcards and all the posters. It doesn't even resemble anything like what it actually is today. I'm sure the photo was taken in 1970 and they have just ran with it. Above the white travertines are the ancient ruins of Hierapolis which more than made lacking postcard photos. You would think that the best place to find ancient roman ruins would be in Rome, but no, it's in Turkey funnily enough. They are on such as huge scale and are in such good condition, that it almost puts the Italian ones to shame. You can see everything from the theatre, to where they went to the toilet during the show. We decided to venture up to the top of the hill to check out the ruins a little more in depth and I'm glad we did. We were the only ones there as no one else could be bothered to walk up the hill in 40*C heat. We just sat at the top of the hill for a while looking down on the former town. A very nice way to spend an afternoon.
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