TURKEY

Turkey Cultural Reflection:

Turkey has a lot of ancient man made and natural sites. One of the main natural areas is Cappadocia, the land of the Fairy Chimneys. The Fairy Chimneys are made by wind and erosion of volcanic tuff and they came out as tall statues with a triangular crown on the top that looks like a phallic symbol. You can take long hikes through the chimneys and other rock formations. There are lots of valleys in that area and on each side of the valley are rock formations. There is an open-air museum 1 kilometer away from Goreme that costs 10 lira (about 7 dollars). If you have a tight budget, don’t go to the museum because you can see the same things outside the museum. You can go on hot-air balloon rides over the chimneys. There have been a couple of eclipses in Turkey so check before you go and see if there is one going on and if there is one going on, go see it because it is a great experience. One of the big man-made ruins in Turkey is Ephesus or Efes. Ephesus is an old town of the Romans. There are two stadiums in Ephesus, one is a huge one that holds 250,000 people and if you sit on the top, you actually have a better view and you can hear better, the smaller one is a lot smaller then the main stadium so you can do your own rehearsal or performance for your family! One of the main buildings (and my favorite) in Ephesus is the library of Celsus. There are 4 statues of gods and the library is made of columns, statues and hidden chambers for books or papyrus documents. There are also small ruins everywhere, even a men’s public restroom with a pond in the middle, so you can really explore!!! 

Mary’s house and Aikido lessons with Ken

Today Peter, Mom, g and I went to Mary’s house by taxi. When we got there we had to rush. We walked up a path and read a sine about the house. We kept walking and stopped at the statue of Mary. It was small about 2-3 feet high. We kept moving and came to the house. It is brick with dome-shaped ceilings. When you go inside there is a main room that is now a chapel where there are candles, a statue of Mary, and paintings. The room to the right is where there is a painting of Mary’s face. When we were done looking at the house we went to a shop and got some souvenirs. When we were done looking at the souvenirs we walked back to the car and back to the hotel we traded some books and then went to dinner with Ken, a guy we met in Fethiye. When we were done with dinner we went back to the hotel and Ken taught me some aikido moves. One is where someone grabs your wrist and then you twist it and the other was where someone punches you and you grab their wrist and push their elbow down- sideways and you can break their arm by doing that. After dinner, we went to bed because we had to get up at 6:00A.M the next day.

Ephesus

Today we went to Ephesus or Efes. We got a ride to the south gate and then went into Ephesus. First we saw the great theater that can fit 250,000 people. In the top rows you have a better view and sound. We walked down a street that ended at the famous library of Celsus we took pictures and walked through it to the right was the gate of Caesar Augustus and on it was ancient graffiti that said “those who piss here”. We went on down the road bordered by pliers we saw angle carvings and gates. At the end of the street was the gate of Hercules so we got our pictures and headed in. we first walked to the right and walked on top of the hill. I found three turtles and then we went down. We went to the smaller theater and walked around it. We started walking back to Selcuk (with a line under the c that makes it sound like ch so Selcuk sounds like Selchuk). Grandma got a bus back and we walked. It wasn’t very far back and we stopped at a bakery in Selcuk and got some good bread. We had dinner and went up to our room we worked on stuff and then went to bed.

Bus to Selcuk

In the morning we got a bus to selcuk. The first bus took us to a town near selcuk and then we took a bus to selcuk I had a good sleep until we were there we got a hotel and then walked around. We went to St. Johns basilica and then walked to an internet café and checked emails.

Fethiye

Today we walked an 8 kilometer hike to the beach. First it was up hill and at the top of the hill was a tortus. Then it went down and when we were walking down we talked about the collages we went to go to and the work we went to do and were we went to live we stopped and had a snack and then went on we lost the trail but then found it again then we started talking about the book we want to write. When we got to the beach it was a spit. We laid on the beach for a long time until we decided to go back. When we got back we got cheese and bread and ate that for dinner.

Fethiye

Today we went to the ghost villages it wasn’t very old but there was lots of a banded homes. We saw a couple of tortues and then climbed to the top of the mountain. We got a bus back to fetheyi and then it was time to go swimming when I touched the water it was freezing but Peter jumped in and scrabbled out as fast as he could so I jumped in and got out as fast as I could. I tried to get used to it but I couldn’t then Peter wanted me to check if he could dive so I went in again Brrrrr. We went to the same place for dinner.

Fethiye

We woke you up and took a bus fetheyi. When we got to fetheyi we got a hotel with a pool. We went looking for a place to eat dinner and found a nice place. When we got back to the hotel we went to bed.

Demre & DAD'S BIRTHDAY

When we got to Demre after our long bus ride, we walked to saint. Nicholas’s church we went in and walked around but we had to carry our backs so we but them down and but one shoe by the door way. Mom, G, and I stayed and put in pens, chocolate and Nescafe into Dads shoe because it’s his birthday!!!!! When dad came to get his shoe he was astounded with what he found!!! Then we went to a hotel and then they took us to the beach. Dad had an Efes beer and Mom and G split a wine and Peter and I had soda. We gave Dad our card and then went back. We had more stuff. This time he had to find it. We hid snacks for him he found all of them but on the last one it took him a long time.

4/2/06- 4/6/06

Antalya

Today we worked at the internet. When Peter and I were done we went back to the house and then Peter and I played futbol with some kids. When we had to go we went back to the house and then went out and played with some other kids. When Mom and Dad returned, we had dinner and Mehmet came over and played a Turkish folk guitar for us and then we said good-bye and went to bed.

Today we went to the waterfall. We got a bus and in 5 minutes we were there. It was a big waterfall and there were lots of trails. One went behind the waterfall and that was fun. When we got a bridge we took some pictures and walked to the exit we took a bus back to the house and then stayed the rest of the day at the house.

Today we went to the market. When we got there it was huge there was fruits and vegetable and clothes we found a shirt for Peter and got some food for dinner and then went to visit Zeynep's Grandmother when we got there we went to a room and had some tea. Zeynep had to translate for us. We took pictures together and talked. When we left we got grapefruits and then went back home. We groped the stuff off and then went on a walk along the Mediterranean Sea. We went to a beach with no sand only pebbles I found some cool rocks. We got the bus back to the house and had dinner and went to bed.

Today we went to find an internet café and a hair dresser. The first internet café was slow and so we went to a different one and that one was fast and really cheap!! Mom and G went to the hair dressers and Mom got a hair cut and G curled her hair. Peter and I went back to the house and did school work. when Mom and G and Dad came back we had a lunch and hung out.

4/2/06

Antalya

When we got to Antalya, we were met by a friend of a friend from Eugene and her name is Zeynep and we stayed at her house for our visit in Antalya. When we got to her house, it was a great place and when we were done unpacking, we had a great Turkish breakfast. Zeynep took us to a Christian church, named Paul’s Place, but the service was all in Turkish so we took a walk by the Mediterranean Sea and ate lunch down near the sea. We walked through a dock and through the streets of Antalya and then took the bus back to the house and had a great dinner of red lentil soup, spaghetti with a fresh tomato topping, rice, yogurt, bread, cheese, and olives.

4/1/06

Fairy chimneys and leave to Antalya

Today we walked to another valley of the fairy chimneys. When we got there, we walked through all of them. There were some that were stuck together with three caps but only one base. When we were done, we took a bus back to Goreme and then a night bus to Antalya.

3/31/06

Goreme

Today we went to an underground city. We took a couple of buses and then arrived. When we got in and underground, it was freezing and dark. We spent about an hour there, walking down and up and through tunnels and caverns in the underground city. There were some students from the Netherlands that were doing research on air quality and they said that the air quality was really bad there and you could actually die if there was too many people underground. I thought that was pretty cool. The researchers looked cold. When we got out, we had tea and then went back but M, D, Peter, and I stopped in Uchizar, a town on a hill overlooking Goreme, and walked through pigeon valley back to Goreme. When we first started, we got lost but then got on the right path. We walked through rivers, groves of trees, and over hills. When we got to Goreme, it was almost dark so we ate and went to bed.    

3/30/06

Goreme

Today we decided to go to the Open Air museum 1 kilometer away from Goreme. After we walked the 1 kilometer, we got to the museum and paid the admission and then went to explore. In the open air museum there are a lot of old churches and paintings on the walls of the churches, as well as sand houses. When we were done, G went back to the hotel and we went on across the street and on a hike. When we got to the top of the hill, we had a great view of the sand dwellings. We saw a tortoise and M named it “fairy tortoise.” When we walked a little longer, we went into a valley and it felt like a fairy village. I went down first because Mom, Dad and Peter were still exploring the ridge at the top of the valley. There is a main road through the village and I called it Main Street. At every turn in the path, there would be a tunnel or bridge. I went down Main Street with my video camera until the end of the road where the walls were very close in. When the road ended, we walked back.

Goreme

3/29/06-4/1/06

When we got to Goreme we got a hotel and then climbed a mountain to see the eclipse. When the eclipse started it looked like a monster had taken a big bite out of the sun. Dad and I videotaped the sun by putting the glasses over the lens and then filming. When the sun got covered by the moon, an eerie darkness fell over the valley. We were looking down and when we looked up at the moon, you would see a black circle (the moon) surrounded by white (rays of the sun).

When the sun came out from behind the moon, the valley lit up and you could hear lots of shouts so I joined in. When the shouts stopped, we started walking in the forest of fairy chimneys. Fairy chimneys are made from natural causes. They are tall and have a cap on the top of them and are made from volcanic ash, wind and erosion. When the forest ended, we walked on the road back to our hotel.

3/28/06

Day in Istanbul and take a bus to Goreme

Today M, D, Peter, and I walked around the town. We first went to the church but mass had ended so we went to a couple of embassies and old churches. At the French embassy, which was now a residence home, Peter rang the bell and somebody came out and Mom started talking to him in Spanish and Peter thought she was insane. The streets in Istanbul were large and modern with narrow cobblestone side streets. When we got to square at the top of the walkway at Taxsim, we walked to a store and got some food and ate it in a park nearby and then started walking to the ferry station. On the way, we stopped at the Istanbul Ritz-Carlton to go to the bathroom.  We took a ferry to Sultanamet. We saw the Asian and European side of Istanbul and we saw lots of jelly fish on the shores of the water. We went to our hotel, picked up our back packs, and then to the bus station and got an overnight bus to Goreme.  

3/27/06

Day in Istanbul

When we got up, we had a Turkish breakfast and then mom and dad went to the Internet café and Peter and I went to work on homework and then went to the Internet café when it was time to eat. We found a sandwich stall and ate there and then G and I went back and M, D, and Peter went to the post office. We stayed at the hotel and decided to leave the next day.

3/26/06

Day in Istanbul

When we got up, we had a great Turkish breakfast (bread, cheese, tea or coffee, jam/butter/honey, tomato, cucumber, and olives) and then went on an expedition. We crossed the bridge over the Sea of Marmara and then went to a church to see if mass was going but it wasn’t so we got some bread and Turkish pizza and then started walking back. On the bridge, we saw tons of people lined up fishing off the edge of the bridge and they were catching many little fish. We went to a mosque and then started walking to the grand bazaar but when we got there, it was closed, so we kept walking back and then we saw an Internet café and Dad checked if it was fast and it was so he would go there the next day. When we got back to the hotel, we ate and then went to bed.

3/25/06-3/28/06

Istanbul

We got into the Istanbul airport after our great flight with Emirates, where we watched Harry Potter 4 and some other movies and played video games all night! When we stepped out of the plane, it was 8 degrees Celsius or 45 degrees Fahrenheit so it is freezing! We got a taxi to a Mavi hotel put it was full so we went to Star hotel and got a nice room.