Update from Turkey
Nov. 30th, 2007 09:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
akashiverI'm tired. I took an overnight bus from Cappadocia last night (about 11 hours), and I couldn't sleep a wink on the bus. It was pretty comfortable, but I tend to become even more highly strung and sleepless when travelling.
Cappadocia was beautiful. They have strange volcanic landscapes there, which the early Christians bored into in order to build churches and weird undergound cities. It snowed on the second day, so we got to see the multicolored landscape with a thin layer of white, which made it even stranger looking. It also made it colder too. I'd left my gloves on the previous overnight bus, so my hands were frozen. I got up twice at 5 in the morning to try and take a hot air balloon ride over the valley. The first time I was unsuccessful - winds were too high - but we were able to go up the second time, and the scenary was amazing. It's also amazing the degree of control the pilots had over the balloons: sure, we had to drift with the wind, but they could put us down within feet of the alien cliffs. The flight was very smooth; perhaps in some future era I can take up ballooning and travel the world in steampunk style. But next time I'll bring multiple pairs of gloves.
Now I'm back in Istanbul (and should be back in B-town in a few days). It's warmer here than in Cappadocia (thank god - my fingers couldn't take any more). Today we visited the Spice Market, which was a glory of color and merchandise. They sold tea and Turkish Delight alongside the curry powders, so I was able to sample some good (!) TD and buy some of the everpresent apple tea. I was tempted to buy the the "Love Tea" also, just to see what it would taste like, but my budget, alas, didn't stretch that far.
This really has been a marvellous trip. It's a pity the dollar is so weak - everything is more expensive than I'd like, and my bank account is suffering for it. But Turkey is amazing. It has a lot to offer in terms of landscape, history and culture, and I'd recommend it to anyone who's a culture vulture.
Cappadocia was beautiful. They have strange volcanic landscapes there, which the early Christians bored into in order to build churches and weird undergound cities. It snowed on the second day, so we got to see the multicolored landscape with a thin layer of white, which made it even stranger looking. It also made it colder too. I'd left my gloves on the previous overnight bus, so my hands were frozen. I got up twice at 5 in the morning to try and take a hot air balloon ride over the valley. The first time I was unsuccessful - winds were too high - but we were able to go up the second time, and the scenary was amazing. It's also amazing the degree of control the pilots had over the balloons: sure, we had to drift with the wind, but they could put us down within feet of the alien cliffs. The flight was very smooth; perhaps in some future era I can take up ballooning and travel the world in steampunk style. But next time I'll bring multiple pairs of gloves.
Now I'm back in Istanbul (and should be back in B-town in a few days). It's warmer here than in Cappadocia (thank god - my fingers couldn't take any more). Today we visited the Spice Market, which was a glory of color and merchandise. They sold tea and Turkish Delight alongside the curry powders, so I was able to sample some good (!) TD and buy some of the everpresent apple tea. I was tempted to buy the the "Love Tea" also, just to see what it would taste like, but my budget, alas, didn't stretch that far.
This really has been a marvellous trip. It's a pity the dollar is so weak - everything is more expensive than I'd like, and my bank account is suffering for it. But Turkey is amazing. It has a lot to offer in terms of landscape, history and culture, and I'd recommend it to anyone who's a culture vulture.
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no subject
Date: 2007-11-30 10:12 pm (UTC)Turkey is the first home I remember, and perhaps the dearest country to my family. My parents both spent upwards of 15 years there, met and got married there (despite living two blocks away from each other in Portland, Oregon), and had me spend the first three years of my life there.
So, so wonderful. Have the best time ever!
no subject
Date: 2007-11-30 10:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-01 12:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-01 03:21 am (UTC)Good To Hear From You
Date: 2007-12-01 04:24 am (UTC)