Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Friday, December 29, 2006
So Long and Thanks for all the Fish
Farewell Istanbul, for now.
Till next time stay the cool.
Thanks also to all the great people who made the experience great.
We'll meet again some sunny day.
Below is a radio show that I recorded for my students so they could hear themselves speak.
I hope you enjoy.
Be sure to check out the next stage of the blog...
in the USA.
Till then,
Take it easy,
Peace out
Al
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Istanbul
The Final Word
In the same way that Berlin is not Germany, London is not England and New York is not America, Istanbul is not Turkey. These are city-states with their own seperate identity.
Many of my students describe two Turkeys – one the modern western model from Ankara to the west and the traditional, more Islamic one to the east of Ankara. I cannot really tell you much about the latter, as I have not been there.
I know it has been said before and it sounds naff but it is true - this is a city of contradictions. East meets West, old meets new, Secular meets religious with all the contradictions that come along with this.
Traditional – you will live your parents until you are married and make babies.
Photo from Trey
Really, the only religion that is faithfully followed here is football.
Language
This was one of the biggest changes that Ataturk made to Turkish society after coming to power. He changed Turkish from Arabic script to Roman. Not the easiest task in the world, so he had to add a few extra letters and create a few new words. Apparently he did this more or less by himself, and so much so, that some of his most famous speeches were comprehensible to only himself and a few of his closest aides.
The syntax, expressions and grammar seem to have remained the same from Ottoman times. It is definitely not the most attractive language in the world. I often wondered if people were arguing or exchanging pleasantries.
I also found most people to be very unforgiving with the pronunciation. Now, when I am listening to someone trying to speak English I do my best to get the gist of what they are saying. The Turks on the other hand, never seemed to get what I was on about. Most likely, they were not really expecting me to say it.
Politics
The history of the Turkish Republic has been a rocky one. The secular state that was Ataturk’s legacy put the military in charge of keeping it that way. The coups mentioned earlier are evidence of this.
To keep the military in their position of power there is an ingrained programme of nationalist indoctrination from birth. Every home has an image of the great leader and every car has a flag. It is extended even further by the 9-18 months of military service for all males.
At the same time corruption is rife. People pay huge taxes and seem to get very little in return. Dodgy police, no health care, little welfare but free education even if you have 50-60 kids in a class.
The same as most places however there are a few people with vast wealth and the majority who have nothing.
Then there are the Kurds. Some people believe that when Saddam gassed the Kurds in Iraq, and Turkey opened its borders to the refugees, that is when the trouble began.
The problem goes further back, to when the new republic banned their language, dress and culture. This continues today. On the up side, the first Kurdish radio station was opened earlier this year.
The military still has a strong presence in the Kurdish east and when my students are asked about the situation the unanimous reply is: we are right and they are wrong.
Personally, I see the way forward as relinquishing of nationalism on both sides and the government working to improve the quality of life for all its citizens. While the Kurds attack Turks and vice versa, I cannot see this happening.
The political situation today is that the President Sezer is a popular, secular leader and Erodgan is the less popular but economically successful Islamist Prime Minister.
Soon the President must step down and Erodgan is looking ready to take his spot. In this case you would have an Islamist party in both the House of Representatives and executive where they might start making changes that the military and the majority won’t like. A coup seems likely if this happens.
This will also set back the countries planned addition to the European Union which has been on the cards for a long time, but don’t hold your breath for that one. Most people do not think it is a good idea. Why should this Muslim country join a Christian club?
The Final Word
In the same way that Berlin is not Germany, London is not England and New York is not America, Istanbul is not Turkey. These are city-states with their own seperate identity.
This can be demonstrated when you meet someone from these places and you ask "Where are you from?" and they say "New York."
Then I usually say "That is in the US isn't it? I am from Perth." and they give me a strange look and ask "Where?" - but that's my bitch.
The point of the story is, I can tell you about life in Istanbul rather than life in Turkey - I have been to Turkey a couple of times and it seems to have little in common with the former capital.
Many of my students describe two Turkeys – one the modern western model from Ankara to the west and the traditional, more Islamic one to the east of Ankara. I cannot really tell you much about the latter, as I have not been there.
I know it has been said before and it sounds naff but it is true - this is a city of contradictions. East meets West, old meets new, Secular meets religious with all the contradictions that come along with this.
Here are a few observations I would like to make before I sign off on this blog:
People
I know it is wrong to make sweeping generalizations, but there are definitely some national characteristics that can be observed in every culture.
Maybe it is best to use the students’ own words to describe themselves. These are a few adjectives I have heard:
Friendly – people have been very good at trying to help and I have benefited from their hospitality on many occasions.
People
I know it is wrong to make sweeping generalizations, but there are definitely some national characteristics that can be observed in every culture.
Maybe it is best to use the students’ own words to describe themselves. These are a few adjectives I have heard:
Friendly – people have been very good at trying to help and I have benefited from their hospitality on many occasions.
Passionate – I have never seen so many raging arguments and lover tiffs in the streets. No one seems to pay any attention.
Nationalistic – “this is the best country in the world!”
Well dressed – Istanbul is the home of big hair, fad fashions and the peacock male.
Modern – Istanbullus pride themselves on being part of a modern secular republic, enjoy new (and very expensive) technology and all the benefits of the modern world.
Traditional – you will live your parents until you are married and make babies.Proud – of their country, of their children, of their history, of their new car etc etc.
Jealous – This might be the cause of all the arguments, don’t look at another man’s woman and expect a lot of phone calls when you have a Turkish boy/girlfriend.
Smelly – In summer this can be murder on the tightly packed buses. Enough said.
Selfish – They do seem to put themselves before anyone else if given the opportunity whether this is queuing up at the post office or trying to get through traffic.
Homophobic – odd scene.
Xenophobic – “I don’t like Greeks, or Arabs, or the French, Kurds, Americans”; “German and English people are cold”; “black people are all thieves and drug dealers” etc etc.
This said they are a Mediterranean people who love to party and have a good time. I have spent many a night in a folk bar with everyone singing along to traditional songs and getting up to dance.
This said they are a Mediterranean people who love to party and have a good time. I have spent many a night in a folk bar with everyone singing along to traditional songs and getting up to dance.
Photo from Mark
Religion
Islam is to Istanbul as Christianity is to Australia. This is the best way to sum it up.
Turkey is the worlds only secular Muslim state which many (America mainly) propose as a model for the Islamic world; but what is the cost of this?
When Ataturk set up his secular republic he put a great influence on the military, when the political leaders got too far from secularism the military was charged with returning it to his vision – in the form of a coupe of which there has been many: 1960, 1971, 1980 and 1997.
Most of the people are not very religious. Everyone said they believed in god but when asked about religion, they said that it was between them and god. Good answer.
Religion here, as in most places, takes the form of culture: people celebrate the bayrams (religious holidays) even though they are not very good at telling you what they are about (a lot like western countries) and people don’t eat pig products. All the people I met only spoke with scorn of extremism and terrorism.
The state does not recognise a marriage conducted in a mosque and if you do take this option, you can have the maximum number of wives that the religion allows. So marriages take place in the registry office and then followed by a party somewhere else.
When you go you will see lots of mosques, but not many people in them. Five times a day you will hear the Ezan or call to prayer but you won’t see many people stopping what they are doing.
Something you will see today in Istanbul is headscarves even a lot of those cover all black ninja outfits. When you look at photos of the city fifty or sixty years ago, it would be hard to spot one. Today they are many fashionable silk numbers covering the hair of the devout.
Ataturk banned the fez and the headscarf shortly after coming to power; its resurgence in popularity has been attributed to the “political Islam”: a sign of rebellion against modernisation and a return to traditional values. Still one wonders whether it is the free choice of the women or that of their fathers and husbands. It is difficult to tell.
Still in the secular state, if you want to hold public office or go to a public university you are not allowed to where a headscarf. This said, the wife of the prime minister wears one.
From my point of view, I could not care less what you wear, as long it is by your own free will. You should be judged by your actions rather than your fashion sense. As for men who force their wives and daughters to put a bag over their head when they go out – they must not have very high opinions of their choices in life.
Religion
Islam is to Istanbul as Christianity is to Australia. This is the best way to sum it up.
Turkey is the worlds only secular Muslim state which many (America mainly) propose as a model for the Islamic world; but what is the cost of this?
When Ataturk set up his secular republic he put a great influence on the military, when the political leaders got too far from secularism the military was charged with returning it to his vision – in the form of a coupe of which there has been many: 1960, 1971, 1980 and 1997.
Most of the people are not very religious. Everyone said they believed in god but when asked about religion, they said that it was between them and god. Good answer.
Religion here, as in most places, takes the form of culture: people celebrate the bayrams (religious holidays) even though they are not very good at telling you what they are about (a lot like western countries) and people don’t eat pig products. All the people I met only spoke with scorn of extremism and terrorism.
The state does not recognise a marriage conducted in a mosque and if you do take this option, you can have the maximum number of wives that the religion allows. So marriages take place in the registry office and then followed by a party somewhere else.
When you go you will see lots of mosques, but not many people in them. Five times a day you will hear the Ezan or call to prayer but you won’t see many people stopping what they are doing.
Something you will see today in Istanbul is headscarves even a lot of those cover all black ninja outfits. When you look at photos of the city fifty or sixty years ago, it would be hard to spot one. Today they are many fashionable silk numbers covering the hair of the devout.
Ataturk banned the fez and the headscarf shortly after coming to power; its resurgence in popularity has been attributed to the “political Islam”: a sign of rebellion against modernisation and a return to traditional values. Still one wonders whether it is the free choice of the women or that of their fathers and husbands. It is difficult to tell.
Still in the secular state, if you want to hold public office or go to a public university you are not allowed to where a headscarf. This said, the wife of the prime minister wears one.
From my point of view, I could not care less what you wear, as long it is by your own free will. You should be judged by your actions rather than your fashion sense. As for men who force their wives and daughters to put a bag over their head when they go out – they must not have very high opinions of their choices in life.
Photo from TreyReally, the only religion that is faithfully followed here is football.
Language
This was one of the biggest changes that Ataturk made to Turkish society after coming to power. He changed Turkish from Arabic script to Roman. Not the easiest task in the world, so he had to add a few extra letters and create a few new words. Apparently he did this more or less by himself, and so much so, that some of his most famous speeches were comprehensible to only himself and a few of his closest aides.
The syntax, expressions and grammar seem to have remained the same from Ottoman times. It is definitely not the most attractive language in the world. I often wondered if people were arguing or exchanging pleasantries.
I also found most people to be very unforgiving with the pronunciation. Now, when I am listening to someone trying to speak English I do my best to get the gist of what they are saying. The Turks on the other hand, never seemed to get what I was on about. Most likely, they were not really expecting me to say it.
Politics
The history of the Turkish Republic has been a rocky one. The secular state that was Ataturk’s legacy put the military in charge of keeping it that way. The coups mentioned earlier are evidence of this.To keep the military in their position of power there is an ingrained programme of nationalist indoctrination from birth. Every home has an image of the great leader and every car has a flag. It is extended even further by the 9-18 months of military service for all males.
At the same time corruption is rife. People pay huge taxes and seem to get very little in return. Dodgy police, no health care, little welfare but free education even if you have 50-60 kids in a class.
The same as most places however there are a few people with vast wealth and the majority who have nothing.
Then there are the Kurds. Some people believe that when Saddam gassed the Kurds in Iraq, and Turkey opened its borders to the refugees, that is when the trouble began.
The problem goes further back, to when the new republic banned their language, dress and culture. This continues today. On the up side, the first Kurdish radio station was opened earlier this year.
The military still has a strong presence in the Kurdish east and when my students are asked about the situation the unanimous reply is: we are right and they are wrong.
Personally, I see the way forward as relinquishing of nationalism on both sides and the government working to improve the quality of life for all its citizens. While the Kurds attack Turks and vice versa, I cannot see this happening.
The political situation today is that the President Sezer is a popular, secular leader and Erodgan is the less popular but economically successful Islamist Prime Minister.
Soon the President must step down and Erodgan is looking ready to take his spot. In this case you would have an Islamist party in both the House of Representatives and executive where they might start making changes that the military and the majority won’t like. A coup seems likely if this happens.
This will also set back the countries planned addition to the European Union which has been on the cards for a long time, but don’t hold your breath for that one. Most people do not think it is a good idea. Why should this Muslim country join a Christian club?
Photo from The Economist
Lifestyle
Meanwhile life continues as normal for most people in the city, which was the capital for five empires. People seem to work very long hours but not all that hard (from what I can see) for very little money. The rubbish piles up on the streets and people sit down every night in front of the cheapest and most popular entertainment – TV. Turkish TV is a novel in itself.
“Every man must have a gun, a wife and horse” or so the saying goes. This seems to be true.
Gun ownership is very high. They are cheap and easy to get (a reason I never wanted to argue with anyone). Getting married seems a very popular life-choice and divorce is fairly common. The horse today seems to have been replaced with the car. In a city of 15 million people it is a dangerous combination when mixed with 1500-year-old roads, passionate personalities and handgun ownership.
My parting thought is to go. Don’t take my word for it; discover it for yourself. It is an amazing country with a rich history and good food. You will not be disappointed.
Lifestyle
Meanwhile life continues as normal for most people in the city, which was the capital for five empires. People seem to work very long hours but not all that hard (from what I can see) for very little money. The rubbish piles up on the streets and people sit down every night in front of the cheapest and most popular entertainment – TV. Turkish TV is a novel in itself.
“Every man must have a gun, a wife and horse” or so the saying goes. This seems to be true.
Gun ownership is very high. They are cheap and easy to get (a reason I never wanted to argue with anyone). Getting married seems a very popular life-choice and divorce is fairly common. The horse today seems to have been replaced with the car. In a city of 15 million people it is a dangerous combination when mixed with 1500-year-old roads, passionate personalities and handgun ownership.My parting thought is to go. Don’t take my word for it; discover it for yourself. It is an amazing country with a rich history and good food. You will not be disappointed.
Photo from Mark
Istanbul Xmas Trees
Can someone tell me what this is all about?
These things seem to be sprouting from the ground all over the place.
I have asked my students, but despite not being able to give me an accurate definition of what xmas is, they affirm that these are "new years trees". They put presents under them which they exchange at the turn of the year.
Now I lived in Thailand, where they seemed to celebrate this christian rip-off of the pagan winter holiday with more gusto and less understanding but here the practice of putting up trees with festive decorations seems far more virulent here.
It may be left over from the previous christan inhabitants of this much fought over piece of land. That was a thousand years ago however,and they lost.
Most of my students have said that it was common in their childhood and were quite surprised when told it was a practice significant to many christian sects.
Who knows? Any input would be appreciated.
Photos taken at EF Levent.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Party Away!
Just a short note, as I am feeling a bit rough, to all those who made our Going Away Bash, so memorable.
They say a picture tells a thousand words, so I will let the pictures do the talking - go to the "My Photos" link.
We will miss you all, but it is a small world, and we will meet again!
Stay in touch.
Take it easy.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Spin
Last week I was walking home from work, about two in the afternoon, tired and looking for a couple hours kip before going back for the evening shift.
Last week I was walking home from work, about two in the afternoon, tired and looking for a couple hours kip before going back for the evening shift.
I came out of the Metro station and made my way towards Istaklal but there was a crowd blocking my way - all looking towards the Ataturk statue.
Maybe it was some sort of homage to the great leader, so I joined the gawkers. There were police and a number of camera crews.
All were looking at a bloke in his late forties maybe, standing at the base of the monument, holding what looked like a 9mm hand gun to his head.
I stopped and stared for a while, transfixed - not something you see everyday. I was riveted with some sort of weird primeval desire to see what would happen next - the possibility of a kill. there might have been three or four hundred people watching; who knows how many at home.
After thinking for a few minutes - there was one of two options: he pulled the trigger, spraying his brains like an over-ripe watermelon; or the cops shoot him.
I felt sick and turned away, to disappear into the crowd, listening for the bang. Soon however, the possibility of hearing it was drowned in the throng of the metropolis.
There was nothing in the news that I saw.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Friday, October 27, 2006
Sheker Byram
(Sugar Holiday)
Cappadocia
"The name “Cappadocia” dates back to Persian times, when the region was called as “katpatukya” meaning “Land of beautiful horses”. Since that time Cappadocia has seen the rise and fall of many different civilizations. It is a land of vast plains, rolling hills, rugged mountains and extinct volcanoes. It is a veritable treasury of historical relics from the Chalcolithic era to the Seljuk Turks period.
In recent times, Cappadocia is best known for its unique landscape of valleys and rock formations, known as fairy chimneys. The formation of the this strange landscape began during the third geological period, when three volcanoes on the edges of this region began erupting frequently. The deposits of volcanoes ash, lava and basalt laid the foundations for today's landscape. Earthquakes and ongoing effects of erosion formed the valleys and fairy chimneys that can be seen today.
As the rock below the top layer of basalt is extremely soft, it can be easily carved. Communities took advantage of this to make their home in the rock pillars and under the ground. Today, examples of homes, churches and whole cities abound in Cappadocia. "
Adapted from: http://www.ezairballoons.com/cappadocia.html
On Wednesday evening we edged back into the massive metropolis along with the rest of the holiday traffic.
(Sugar Holiday)
Cappadocia
"The name “Cappadocia” dates back to Persian times, when the region was called as “katpatukya” meaning “Land of beautiful horses”. Since that time Cappadocia has seen the rise and fall of many different civilizations. It is a land of vast plains, rolling hills, rugged mountains and extinct volcanoes. It is a veritable treasury of historical relics from the Chalcolithic era to the Seljuk Turks period.
In recent times, Cappadocia is best known for its unique landscape of valleys and rock formations, known as fairy chimneys. The formation of the this strange landscape began during the third geological period, when three volcanoes on the edges of this region began erupting frequently. The deposits of volcanoes ash, lava and basalt laid the foundations for today's landscape. Earthquakes and ongoing effects of erosion formed the valleys and fairy chimneys that can be seen today.
As the rock below the top layer of basalt is extremely soft, it can be easily carved. Communities took advantage of this to make their home in the rock pillars and under the ground. Today, examples of homes, churches and whole cities abound in Cappadocia. "
Adapted from: http://www.ezairballoons.com/cappadocia.html
On Wednesday evening we edged back into the massive metropolis along with the rest of the holiday traffic.
As we pushed toward the centre, the intensity increased - the people, the noise, the music, the sirens; until we were in the heart of the vortex.
The closer we got, the more I felt the relaxation slipping away and the tension return. Its claws creeping up my spine like some dark yet invisible beast.
We were home.
It all began on Saturday morning. We rose before the sun and met the rest of our party - Claire and Seb. We piled ourselves and bags into the 1991 Rover Montago station wagon (a British right hand drive) and got a jump start on the rest of the city for the mass exsodus.
We did pretty well. Istanbul petered out into suburbs, then industrial estates and eventually gave way to grass, cows and trees. There was one hold up at Bolu due to an accident but the journey was made all the swifter by all the toll booths (of which there are many) being closed. This made it considerabley cheaper and quicker.
I wonder where else in the world you would get the road tolls closed down for a public holiday?
By lunch we had passed the massive round about that is Ankara - Turkey's capital for those who don't know. We had not desire to stop there.
We were home.
It all began on Saturday morning. We rose before the sun and met the rest of our party - Claire and Seb. We piled ourselves and bags into the 1991 Rover Montago station wagon (a British right hand drive) and got a jump start on the rest of the city for the mass exsodus.
We did pretty well. Istanbul petered out into suburbs, then industrial estates and eventually gave way to grass, cows and trees. There was one hold up at Bolu due to an accident but the journey was made all the swifter by all the toll booths (of which there are many) being closed. This made it considerabley cheaper and quicker.
I wonder where else in the world you would get the road tolls closed down for a public holiday?
By lunch we had passed the massive round about that is Ankara - Turkey's capital for those who don't know. We had not desire to stop there.
I took up the wheel, my first time driving on the wrong side, the right side, of the road. I think I did pretty well, it's like driving in the fast lane all the time. It gets a bit confusing when you have to turn however. The less said about Turkish driving the better.
By nightfall we were almost there. A short cut between highways was meant to save time but instead gave us a veiw into the country's rural life - geese, donkeys and mud brick houses.
It was good to arrive in Goreme in darkness. The tall narrow rocks, lit from the inside gave the place a surreal quality that was carried through to the daylight and the rest of our trip.
We checked into a cave room, had dinner on the strip and crashed.
Sunday
The alarm was set for the latest oppertunity for us to get the breakfast included in the price of the room / cave. I peeked out the window. Wow!
There is no point me describing it, that is why I have a camera. Just check out the photos page.
In the morning we wandered out to the Open Air Museum. This area has been sealed off as it has the most amazing caves and dug out churches in the area with some well preserved frescos on the insides.
After lunch we decided to head off the track and go overland to Goreme via Love Valley. This area gets its name from the phallic rock formations.
We made it down the hill and back up the other side with a lot of clambering up ridges. There were a couple of time we almost lost grip and slide down, but eventually we made it to the top.
The top turned out to be right above our cave room and gave a spectacular view of the valley. It also turned out to be right next to a terrace bar where we could enjoy a cold beer and watch the sunset after the afternoons exertions.
That night we ate at Goreme Restaurant. Although unimaginitively named, it was great. Ottoman style cushions on the floor around low tables facing an elderly musican who played all evening on different instruments. The food, wine and ambiance were all superlative.
Monday
First stop Uchisar, the highest point in the region and thus a castle. We wandered up and got a spectacular view of the whole area. Very impressive.
From there we headed down the motorway to Derinkuyu and the largest of the many underground cities in the area. These were built as refuge from barbarian hordes who would come to rape and pilliage.
My knees took a battering as I crouch walked down the low-ceilinged passages. Vast chambers, whole churches and cripts are burried deep within the ground. Who knows how many months the whole city waited for the peril to pass. Better than being slaughtered I suppose, but not much.
From there it was cross country to Urgup and the wineries. We took the back roads and got a taste of contempory rural life. Mud brick houses with satellite dishes, donkey carts and mopeds, boys in tired looking suits; men in even more tired looking suits.
We finally made it to Urgup to find a modern tourist metropolis. Turasan, the winery, was notable for the great line of tour buses parked out the front. The place was a mad house, we did not stay long.
Instead we headed back to Uchisar and enjoyed the peace, quiet and hospitality of Kocabaa winery - we bought a lot more wine from them.
That night we signed up for the "Turkish Nights Show". This peice of touristy kitch is something that I would scoff at back home in Istanbul, but seens as we were on holiday and no one I knew would be there, Why not?
Meal, drink and entertainment included. The meal was hideous, the drink was bearable and the entertainment was... interesting.
It started badly with an interpretation of the Whirling Dervishes. Agreed there were men in dresses spinning around but that was the only apprent similarity to the Mevlevi Order.
From there it improved sightly. There were folk singers and folk dancers with a small band and they manage to pump out three hours of entertainment for the whole family.
The whole family was there too, enjoying the end of Ramazan and getting on the booze. The Turkish girls got up and gave the professionals a run for there money.
Eventually there was the belly dancer. I never really think of belly dancers as being blonde, this one was the exception.
You would never guess who was called up to make a fool of himself...
(video available on request)
It was an entertaining evening none the less.
Tuesday
A late start. Too much cheap wine.
We wondered into town and did some shopping.
In the afternoon we thought it might be nice to take the bus out to Uchisar and walk back to Goreme.
We thought we might start at Pidgeon Valley. Here they put in dovecotes and decorated them. They used the dung for building.
It was great weather and we had found a track along the valley floor than was lush and green with a river running though, autumnal leaves and bursting with life.
For a good 45 minutes we enjoyed the sedate path through the trees until all of a sudden the land dropped about 100 metres. An old, hermit man sat and smoked in his camp on the other side.
We smiled, said hello and walked around to the other side and continued down the path. Within 50 metres the path seemed impassable, clinging to the side of the hill with a steep drop on one side. Bugger that.
Another hiker came along and joined the end of our party - Ruben from Mexico.
We went back to ask the old man if he knew a safer route. He did and the five of us followed, up the track and along until we came to a steep section of white crumbley rock. Luckily there were footholds, although they were barely noticeable.
The old man went first, managing the path he knew well with ease. Claire and Seb followed. From Claire's expression when she got to the top, I realised that this was not going to be easy.
"What the hell are we going here?" I think were the words used.
The old man guided her across the top of the ridge.
A couple of times on the way up I thought I was going to slip back down the slope. When I reached the top, I realised what all the fuss was about. The path was about ten metres long but only about six inches wide with what seemed like a couple of hundred metres drop on either side.
This is not my element. I belly crawled across and we all made it to the other side. Shaken not stired. We slipped the old man a few Lyra and he bargained for more, this was obviously his living.
Soon we were walking through farm land, the track broadened and we were back among the pansiyons and cafes of Goreme. We went and had a beer and relived our adventures across the abyss with the new addition to our party.
The next day we piled into the station wagon and headed back to the Big Smoke.
By nightfall we were almost there. A short cut between highways was meant to save time but instead gave us a veiw into the country's rural life - geese, donkeys and mud brick houses.
It was good to arrive in Goreme in darkness. The tall narrow rocks, lit from the inside gave the place a surreal quality that was carried through to the daylight and the rest of our trip.
We checked into a cave room, had dinner on the strip and crashed.
Sunday
The alarm was set for the latest oppertunity for us to get the breakfast included in the price of the room / cave. I peeked out the window. Wow!
There is no point me describing it, that is why I have a camera. Just check out the photos page.
In the morning we wandered out to the Open Air Museum. This area has been sealed off as it has the most amazing caves and dug out churches in the area with some well preserved frescos on the insides.
After lunch we decided to head off the track and go overland to Goreme via Love Valley. This area gets its name from the phallic rock formations.
We made it down the hill and back up the other side with a lot of clambering up ridges. There were a couple of time we almost lost grip and slide down, but eventually we made it to the top.
The top turned out to be right above our cave room and gave a spectacular view of the valley. It also turned out to be right next to a terrace bar where we could enjoy a cold beer and watch the sunset after the afternoons exertions.
That night we ate at Goreme Restaurant. Although unimaginitively named, it was great. Ottoman style cushions on the floor around low tables facing an elderly musican who played all evening on different instruments. The food, wine and ambiance were all superlative.
Monday
First stop Uchisar, the highest point in the region and thus a castle. We wandered up and got a spectacular view of the whole area. Very impressive.
From there we headed down the motorway to Derinkuyu and the largest of the many underground cities in the area. These were built as refuge from barbarian hordes who would come to rape and pilliage.
My knees took a battering as I crouch walked down the low-ceilinged passages. Vast chambers, whole churches and cripts are burried deep within the ground. Who knows how many months the whole city waited for the peril to pass. Better than being slaughtered I suppose, but not much.
From there it was cross country to Urgup and the wineries. We took the back roads and got a taste of contempory rural life. Mud brick houses with satellite dishes, donkey carts and mopeds, boys in tired looking suits; men in even more tired looking suits.
We finally made it to Urgup to find a modern tourist metropolis. Turasan, the winery, was notable for the great line of tour buses parked out the front. The place was a mad house, we did not stay long.
Instead we headed back to Uchisar and enjoyed the peace, quiet and hospitality of Kocabaa winery - we bought a lot more wine from them.
That night we signed up for the "Turkish Nights Show". This peice of touristy kitch is something that I would scoff at back home in Istanbul, but seens as we were on holiday and no one I knew would be there, Why not?
Meal, drink and entertainment included. The meal was hideous, the drink was bearable and the entertainment was... interesting.
It started badly with an interpretation of the Whirling Dervishes. Agreed there were men in dresses spinning around but that was the only apprent similarity to the Mevlevi Order.
From there it improved sightly. There were folk singers and folk dancers with a small band and they manage to pump out three hours of entertainment for the whole family.
The whole family was there too, enjoying the end of Ramazan and getting on the booze. The Turkish girls got up and gave the professionals a run for there money.
Eventually there was the belly dancer. I never really think of belly dancers as being blonde, this one was the exception.
You would never guess who was called up to make a fool of himself...
(video available on request)
It was an entertaining evening none the less.
Tuesday
A late start. Too much cheap wine.
We wondered into town and did some shopping.
In the afternoon we thought it might be nice to take the bus out to Uchisar and walk back to Goreme.
We thought we might start at Pidgeon Valley. Here they put in dovecotes and decorated them. They used the dung for building.
It was great weather and we had found a track along the valley floor than was lush and green with a river running though, autumnal leaves and bursting with life.
For a good 45 minutes we enjoyed the sedate path through the trees until all of a sudden the land dropped about 100 metres. An old, hermit man sat and smoked in his camp on the other side.
We smiled, said hello and walked around to the other side and continued down the path. Within 50 metres the path seemed impassable, clinging to the side of the hill with a steep drop on one side. Bugger that.
Another hiker came along and joined the end of our party - Ruben from Mexico.
We went back to ask the old man if he knew a safer route. He did and the five of us followed, up the track and along until we came to a steep section of white crumbley rock. Luckily there were footholds, although they were barely noticeable.
The old man went first, managing the path he knew well with ease. Claire and Seb followed. From Claire's expression when she got to the top, I realised that this was not going to be easy.
"What the hell are we going here?" I think were the words used.
The old man guided her across the top of the ridge.
A couple of times on the way up I thought I was going to slip back down the slope. When I reached the top, I realised what all the fuss was about. The path was about ten metres long but only about six inches wide with what seemed like a couple of hundred metres drop on either side.
This is not my element. I belly crawled across and we all made it to the other side. Shaken not stired. We slipped the old man a few Lyra and he bargained for more, this was obviously his living.
Soon we were walking through farm land, the track broadened and we were back among the pansiyons and cafes of Goreme. We went and had a beer and relived our adventures across the abyss with the new addition to our party.
The next day we piled into the station wagon and headed back to the Big Smoke.
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