Sheers Family OE 2012: A Turkish Delight . . .

Hi all, Glenn here. It’s my turn to put thoughts and experiences down ‘on paper’ for you to read.

Turkey! Wow – what an amazing place. The Turkish people made us feel very welcome in their country, in which they take so much pride. Always eager to have a chat to us, find out where we’re from and what we are doing. Their genuine warmth and wicked sense of fun and humour made for an enjoyable month of adventure. If selling something, the people were charming and not pushy, and they weren’t offended if we didn’t buy what they had to offer. We met characters like Mr Delicious, who sold some pretty awesome baklava from his family’s pastry shop in Istanbul. We ate more samples than we ended up buying.

The girls with Mr Delicious.

In the Spice Bazaar we befriended a stall holder who ended up feeling like a family friend after our second visit. His Turkish delight was TO-DIE-FOR.

Down the country a little, at Pamukkale, the teenage boy who was looking after the family-owned campground, while his dad was away for the day, went out of his way to make sure we were all settled in. Later in the day, when he saw us exploring the back streets of town, he stopped his car in the middle of the road to see if we were alright. At ANZAC Cove, while reading the headstones in a cemetery, a complete stranger came up to me, shook my hand and patted me on the back. We chatted for a bit not understanding much of what each other were saying, but the goodwill was abundant. Everywhere we went in Turkey, Taashi and Tilly were fussed over like royalty. They received more hugs and cheek pats than anywhere else to date. These sorts of personal interactions happened to us throughout Turkey and were just a part of why we fell in love with the place.

Ahhhhh. The food. Turkish pide, grilled meats cooked with mouth-watering spices, gozleme (pancakes) filled with your choice of cheese and parsley, spiced mince, chocolate, or lemon juice and sugar. There was nothing better to wash it down with than a mixture of freshly squeezed orange and pomegranate juice. Mind you, the raki was also mighty fine. The Turkish çay (tea) was interesting and the apple tea delicious. But, to my mind, the piece de resistance was the Turkish delight – rose, mint, mulberry, raspberry, orange, peach, apricot, apple, pomegranate, melon. Fresh, soft, and simply sensational. Taashi’s and Tilly’s appreciation of food will never again be the same.

Waiting for Pide outside the Grand Bazaar, Istanbul.

At 7.40TL a pop these ice creams where huge!

Some of the yummiest kebabs we devoured were from the little kiosks scattered
all over the streets of Istanbul. This one was in the Blue Mosque, Aya Sofia, Tokapi Palace triangle.
The cats ate just as much chicken as we did.

Watching the art of gozleme (pancake) making in Cirali.

The girls weren’t in heaven just because of the fabulous food and the friendly affection bestowed upon them, they were in a country filled with cats. Tilly, in particular, loves cats. So you can imagine her elation at finding cats everywhere in need of a cuddle (and some cat biscuits, too). There were cats of all ages, sizes, and colours in the streets, in the ruins, even in the cafes, and, most importantly, in the campgrounds. The cats of Turkey have never had sooooo much attention. The hard word is now on to get a couple of kittens when we get settled back home.

This cute, scruffy looking little kitten adopted us at Mistik Camping in Istanbul.
The girls named her Kitty Kite and she couldn't have been more than 6 weeks old

The scenery in Turkey was SPECTACULAR. Istanbul, with its beautiful mosques and palaces, and its exciting, colourful, noisy and bustling bazaars. Pamukkale, nestled in the shadows of the ruins of Hierapolis, with its hot springs and white terraces. The hidden gem of Çirali, with the ancient ruins of Olympos at one end of the beach (a beach with crystal-clear, turquoise waters) and the eternally burning rocks of Chimaera at the other. The incredible ruins of Ephesus, where we walked the roads travelled by emperors nearly 2000 years ago, and where we stood in awe of the sophistication and creativity of their ancient civilisations. The stunning coastline - rugged and inhospitable in some places and serene and inviting in others - never failed to take our breath away. Turkey was a feast for the eyes and the soul.

As you leave the Blue Mosque you are greeted by Aya Sofia.

The girls soaking up the views from the White Travertines in Pamukkale.

As you enter through the Northern Gates of the Hieropolis Ruins you
walk the 2000yr old roads once frequented by chariots.

Can you spot Glenn and the girls at the very top of
the Hierpolis Ampitheatre? It was a long way up and the views were to die for.

Traversing back down the Travertines at sunset was breathtaking.
You can now walk all the way from the base of them in Pamukkale
to the top of them up next to the Heiropolis Ruins - from dawn until dusk.

Heading back down to Pamukkale after a day spent exploring the
Hieropolis Ruins and the White Travertines.

Cirali Beach as seen from our free camping site - the best free camping site (possibly) in the world.

Sunset looking back across Cirali Beach towards the Olympos Ruins from our free camp site at sunset.

The burning rocks of Chimaera, Cirali.

Just one of the rugged coastline roads we negotiated.

The Kas skyline.

One of the last cruise ships of the season to dock in Kusadasi.
The town was in shutdown mode - which meant everything was on sale
and it was lovely and quiet.

The stormy skies above Efes added to the atmosphere.

Tilly and I heading back to Swifty after a big day exploring the Ephesus Ruins.

The coastline along the Sea of Marmara - we had this camp and beach all to ourselves for 3 days.

Taashi taking in the Olympos Ruins.

The serenity of dusk in the low season at Kusadasi.

Speaking of soul-inspiring, the area around ANZAC Cove was just that. On Remembrance Day, when we visited the beaches, the hills and valleys, and the trenches where so many men fought and died, we were overcome by the peace and tranquillity of the place. Reading the information boards and plaques told us some of the history from both perspectives. A history that demonstrated mutual respect for ‘the enemy’. Reading the gravestones detailing the lives lost and the loved ones they left behind had all four of us shedding silent tears. Tears of sorrow for the loss suffered and the potential wasted all those years ago; tears of gratitude for the sacrifice they made to protect our freedom; and tears of relief and appreciation for how fortunate we are to live the life we lead. Even remembering that experience while writing this now brings a lump to the throat.

Tilly reading the headstones at Lone Pine Cemetary.
This cemetary is dedicated to the Australian and New Zealand Soldiers who lost their lives here.

Already, I miss the call to prayer and yearn to hear it again someday. Personally, I most enjoyed the morning call at about 5.30am. To be woken by the exotic sounds ringing out through an otherwise silent town, or to listen to the calls from different mosques play off against each other was a wonderful way to start a new day of discovery.

To say that Turkey was a breeze to travel in would be a lie. In reality, it proved, at times, to be a very frustrating and confusing country to visit. But, was it worth it? ABSOLUTELY. Turkey is definitely a place for a second (or third) odyssey.

Here are some odds and ends from Turkey that we thought you might enjoy . . .

Exploring the Grand Bazaar.

On the streets of Istanbul.

We made it through (just) this crowd outside the Spice Bazaar without losing anyone.

Preparing to enter the Blue Mosque.
Tilly was kissed on both cheeks and fussed over by an elderly Turkish lady also visiting the Mosque.

Inside the Blue Mosque.

Capturing the beauty of the Harem in Tokapi Palace.

Both girls had their names put onto scrolls by this Turkish gentleman inside the Grand Bazaar.

The new trend in Turkish rugs - Laurinda LOVED them.
They are made up using bits and pieces from old kilims, camel bags etc.
Unfortunately the price tags were exorbitant - at 1500 euro they were a bit beyond our reach :o(

After getting Swifty out of axle deep mud with the help of some Turkish truckers at our Istanbul
campsite, we stayed behind to help our Austrian neighbours.

This road ran through the guts of Turkey and for some unexplained reason, maybe to break up the boredom,
they decided to put a kink in the road? No other roads ran off it, it was just a half roundabout in the middle of nowhere.

Outside Adem's Hotel in Pamukkale.

Not a bad spot to pitch up for a few days - or to have brekky.
This was our campsite in Pamukkale - the white hill in the near distance (only across the road actually)
is the Travertines and at the top of the hill you can just make out the Hieropolis Ruins.
At night the Travertines were spot lit in different colours.

An Archeologist in the making - Taashi uncovers a 2000yr old column at Hieropolis.

The Sheers Family Hieropolis Statues - not quite 2000yrs old!

The life of a cat in Istanbul.

Shadow fun at dusk on the walls of the White Travertines.

We followed these kids in the back of their dad's truck for miles.
When they saw us watching them and taking photos they ran to the
back of the truck and reappeared with these baby goats.

Our campfire at Cirali Beach - our favourite camp spot.

Backgammon is huge in Turkey.
These were a couple of our Turkish neighbours camping at Oludeniz.
As has been the case for alot of our trip - we find ourselves camped alongside locals rather than tourists.

Camped amoungst the gun trees in Oludeniz.

As we've driven through the thousands of Olive Groves in Turkey we have been
lucky enough to have witnessed the harvesting of the olives. Usually we have seen the locals beating the olive trees with sticks and catching the fruit in netting underneath. This lady was a little more civilized with a bucket and ladder.

Fresh juice at a roadside stall. Pomegranites are in season - Yummy.

Coming across road work signs like this is common in Turkey - and can be very confusing.

The girls soaking up the experience of a Turkish carpet shop.
This shop was in Kusadasi. It was 4 stories high and filled with thousands upon thousands of rugs.
The girls and I experienced our first Turkish carpet salesmen here, and drank our first apple tea.
It was at this shop we bought ourselves a traditional Turkish Carpet.
The girls were disappointed to find out that it wasn't a flying carpet.

Sneaking a kiss in the new marina in Kusadasi.

We took a horse and carriage ride to the Seven Sleepers and the Main Gate of Ephesus.
The girls got to each have a turn sitting up front with the driver and holding the reins.