Well we left Urgip and were heading for Konya when I spied a lady in a field near the road. My photo stop proved to be quite a learning experience. She was kneeling over a small fire with an aubergine cooking in the coals and a large green pepper cooking in a pan. Along came an elderly gent and his wife in a car with some bread and onions. They asked us to join them and share their lunch but as we had not long had breakfast we declined. The soil was like pumice sand and looked as if it wouldn't grow anything. He was growing grapes for wine, pumpkins and tomotoes. They looked so healthy we asked what fertlizer he used. My secret bird manure he replied and asked us if we would like to see his domestic birds. I thought this would be a poultry farm. We drove back to the small village where his home backed onto the wall of a cave house which had small bird holes beside a door way. His pidgeons flew in and out of here to nest and he collected the manure. He said he had a couple of hundred birds. We proceeded on our way. This time the county side as far as the eye could see was very poor land, almost like scrubby desert. We passed a family moving a couple of dozen sheep with donkey and cart. We passed a village with houses made from mud and straw.
We then passed through Aksaray which was an industrial town with a huge steel mill, car (merceeded benz) factory, sugar refinery and many others. On arriving in Konya I was surprised to see many people from different cultures out on the street. Here is famous for the whirling dervishes. Their history is fascinating. This group of people were founded around 1231 to find a mystic union with God through music and dance. Once again the history that is preserved in the Mosques is unbelievable. It is said that St Paul visited here in AD50. Alcohol is banned from resturants here due to the religious beliefs of the people.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Visit to Cappadocia
If I ever thought I wanted to live in a cave, I've changed my mind. We have been in Cappadocia and what a photographers paradise - all these funny shaped hills with interlinking caves where people lived are just magic viewing. The main area for them is Goreme but we drove round and crawled in and out of them all day. I was amused by the table and the seat that had been dug out of the stone. These houses interlink with each other. The most amazing was the underground city linked with another city atleast 10km away. I couldn't stand up in the linking tunnels. We went down 8 levels of caves. It was quite cold and I felt scared in case we got lost down there. People lived in these during the 11th century. They had big round stones they rolled accross the doorway so they could keep safe. Churches were made and decorated with pictures of stories from the bible of Jesus and Mary and the crucifician. Some in perfect order - others wearing out. Outside the city we came across our first set of beggars.
As this has so much history I think a search online for some more information would be a good thing as I'm off to bed.
Talk to you tomorrow.
Pauline
As this has so much history I think a search online for some more information would be a good thing as I'm off to bed.
Talk to you tomorrow.
Pauline
Cappadocia
Here are some photos Pauline has sent through of her visit to Cappadocia. Below is a link to a site I came across with some interesting information about the area.
:-) Louise
Travelling in Turkey
Well it is Sunday morning and we are in a sleepy fishing village called Amastra on the Black Sea. We watched the small fishing boats go out with their nets for red mullet. Tiny fish we would call sprats. Coast guard boats come into a navel military base by our hotel. Breakfast consisted of white cheese, tomatoes, boiled eggs, cucumber, cake and beautiful bread. I thought we would have apple tea at meal times but they give you earl grey unless you specially ask for it. Believe you me it is yummy. All tea is served in small handless glass cups on a saucer with a couple of sugar lumps. Sometimes it is yellow and other times its red depending on the apples it's from. Apparently it is made from a powder so I'll have to go looking.
In Amastra once again the evidence of a Roman fortress was apparent. We spent time wandering the markets. Women were selling homemade walnut, strawberry and loqurt jams. Lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, onions and grape leaves by the bag full. Another interesting thing was bags of pink roses for people to make rose jam. We bought some strawberries held in small baskets. As we didn't want more than a handfull the lady weighed them and put them in a plastic bag and charged us 2lL. We washed them with our drinking water and ate them. They were a bit tasteless.
Our next stop was Safronbolu where we found an ancient cave home that had been used by the Ottamans. It was hidden up in the hills and quite a climb up a flight of stairs. The township is famous for its old style Ottaman housing which looked like mud poked into a wooden frame and covered with mud. Most houses are 3 stories high so the animals are kept in the bottom.
From here we travelled 6 hours and approx 600km to Urgup. Almost all of this time we passed fields of wheat. It looked like a patchwork quilt of small fields all at different stages of growth. There were no fences, no animals and very few houses apart from the cities we travelled through. Traffic was good, roads were mostly 2 or 4 lane highways. Travel speeds were fast. Our driver likes to travel very fast but so do all the other people. There are very few old cars just a tractor or two going the wrong way up the street. We by-pass Ankara.
In Amastra once again the evidence of a Roman fortress was apparent. We spent time wandering the markets. Women were selling homemade walnut, strawberry and loqurt jams. Lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, onions and grape leaves by the bag full. Another interesting thing was bags of pink roses for people to make rose jam. We bought some strawberries held in small baskets. As we didn't want more than a handfull the lady weighed them and put them in a plastic bag and charged us 2lL. We washed them with our drinking water and ate them. They were a bit tasteless.
Our next stop was Safronbolu where we found an ancient cave home that had been used by the Ottamans. It was hidden up in the hills and quite a climb up a flight of stairs. The township is famous for its old style Ottaman housing which looked like mud poked into a wooden frame and covered with mud. Most houses are 3 stories high so the animals are kept in the bottom.
From here we travelled 6 hours and approx 600km to Urgup. Almost all of this time we passed fields of wheat. It looked like a patchwork quilt of small fields all at different stages of growth. There were no fences, no animals and very few houses apart from the cities we travelled through. Traffic was good, roads were mostly 2 or 4 lane highways. Travel speeds were fast. Our driver likes to travel very fast but so do all the other people. There are very few old cars just a tractor or two going the wrong way up the street. We by-pass Ankara.
Istanbul to Zonguldak
Hi all, yesterday we left Istanbul at 7.00am and headed for Zonguldak on the Black sea arriving just after mid day. We past thru Eregli which is huge ship building port with coal and steel prouction as well.
We have hired a car and driver/guide for 6 days and will go from the Black Sea down thru Capadocia to the Mediterainan and back to Istanbul. He is proving very good value, we took a bit of a gamble having engaged him from using him as a taxi driver one night in Istanbul.
Whilst wandering around Zonguldak a english speaking teacher approached and offered to take us to visit his private school with 350 children. Of course there was no holding Pauline back so we ended up by being mobbed by hundreds of screeming kids (just like home). We then headed for Bartin and onto Amasa where we stayed the night. On the way we saw farmers making hay the old way - cutting by hand, loading it dried and unbaled onto trailers and thhen hand stacking. We stopped to take photos and were asked home for a drink of sour yogurt which we accepted of course, although I somehow managed a sore tummy on the way - no way was I going to drink that! But Pauline bravely managed some - and survived. What friendly people, within no time the almost whole village (300) joined in.
Next thing the cows started wandering up the street, being returned from grazing in the nearby hills. (everyones in the same herd) They all knew which house they belonged to, turning into the dirves without direction where they would be hand milked and spend the night under the house.
These people are very poor - no tractors or cars for most, but they share what they have. The women and old men do all the work, the young men just seemed to wander about watching. The Black Sea seems to be very foggy most of the time, but the countryside is very green and quite steep and hilly. Its hard to imagine it snows here in the winter.
Regards Bill
We have hired a car and driver/guide for 6 days and will go from the Black Sea down thru Capadocia to the Mediterainan and back to Istanbul. He is proving very good value, we took a bit of a gamble having engaged him from using him as a taxi driver one night in Istanbul.
Whilst wandering around Zonguldak a english speaking teacher approached and offered to take us to visit his private school with 350 children. Of course there was no holding Pauline back so we ended up by being mobbed by hundreds of screeming kids (just like home). We then headed for Bartin and onto Amasa where we stayed the night. On the way we saw farmers making hay the old way - cutting by hand, loading it dried and unbaled onto trailers and thhen hand stacking. We stopped to take photos and were asked home for a drink of sour yogurt which we accepted of course, although I somehow managed a sore tummy on the way - no way was I going to drink that! But Pauline bravely managed some - and survived. What friendly people, within no time the almost whole village (300) joined in.
Next thing the cows started wandering up the street, being returned from grazing in the nearby hills. (everyones in the same herd) They all knew which house they belonged to, turning into the dirves without direction where they would be hand milked and spend the night under the house.
These people are very poor - no tractors or cars for most, but they share what they have. The women and old men do all the work, the young men just seemed to wander about watching. The Black Sea seems to be very foggy most of the time, but the countryside is very green and quite steep and hilly. Its hard to imagine it snows here in the winter.
Regards Bill
Sunday, May 27, 2007
ANZAC Cove
Its hard not to shed a tear for all those young men and their famlies who suffered so much as a result the First World War. We saw replicas of thr trenches they faught in and listened to horrific stories of hardship and bravery from our soldiers and the comradeship with the Turks who were in trenches sometimes not more than 10 meteres away. It soundes like they talked to each other in the night and shot at them during the day. Ithink the words inscribed by Ataturk on the Turkish memorial unveiled on April 25, 1985 is so true of the feelingd between the Turkish people and us. Iwonder if someone could find this verse to share with us all.. It ends by saying. They became our sons as well.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Continuing last day.
We both put on our very best clothes and along with all the others headed for the bus to také us to the Ciragan Palace where a red carpet took us upstairs to the most luxourious place ive ever seen. It was refurbished in 1874 and now operates as a hotel.
Students had dressed up in a variety of Ottoman costumes and mingled among the 700 conference delegates. The chandaliers hanging from the ceiling were bigger than our dinninng room table
Once again food was everywhere. But the entertainment was spectacular. Colourful folk dancers mixed with a modern orcherester and belly dancers. A tea seller mingled withthe crowd with his pot on his back filled with cherry juice. Dont know what his pot is calledm however no spoondancers were to be soon
For me the highlight were the whirling dirvish dancers. They wore camel felt hats and long while dressess which they keept swirling like a top. They didnt get dizzy. Ive some small video so when im able ill get them to you.
We danced to the music for a while then home to bed round 11pm
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Students had dressed up in a variety of Ottoman costumes and mingled among the 700 conference delegates. The chandaliers hanging from the ceiling were bigger than our dinninng room table
Once again food was everywhere. But the entertainment was spectacular. Colourful folk dancers mixed with a modern orcherester and belly dancers. A tea seller mingled withthe crowd with his pot on his back filled with cherry juice. Dont know what his pot is calledm however no spoondancers were to be soon
For me the highlight were the whirling dirvish dancers. They wore camel felt hats and long while dressess which they keept swirling like a top. They didnt get dizzy. Ive some small video so when im able ill get them to you.
We danced to the music for a while then home to bed round 11pm
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