Must be time to come home...

... as the thought of another doner kebab, borek or manti (ravioli) is leaving me a bit lack-lustre (and McDonalds is starting to look really appealing as a mainstream diet). 

Still,  its been a trip and a half, and now I am truly exhausted. No more call to prayers to tell the time; no more giving way to motorbikes on the sidewalk like they are pedestrians; no more Bospherous-watching from the window (my new form of meditation). I will certainly miss the vibrancy of the streets at night, but not perhaps the constant horns.

It feels like I have been away forever, and not at all. It will probably take a while to sink in (isn't that what the 20+ hour flight is for?).  And dont even mention coming back to winter!.  Thanks for coming on this adventure with me. Its my last post for this trip. A little sad but happy to be catching up with y'all soon!  So its 'Gule Gule' Turkey... its been a blast, though I may never eat Turkish Delight again -- who knew the 1 kilo bag wasn't a good idea? It did make it across 2 continents though--  xx Bec

Finally, the Palace!

Okay, so it took a couple of days, but I finally made it to Dolmanhce Palace and harem. A virtual monument to French Baroque design, the overstated opulence reflects a very different time and now the chandeliers are only switched on for heads of state... I really liked the crystal palace which is adjacent to the aviary (that still has chickens, pheasants and a peacock running around free). The glass work is very fine and lends an open, airy feel to the Palace space. The Palace grounds are beautiful however, a tranquil respite from the busy-ness of Istanbul, catching the waterfront breeze and views.

I feel like I have traipsed all over Istanbul via the oddest routes ( the 'lets see what's up here' compass).  Must have climbed 1000s of stairs ... miraculously without the need to don a red headband and a bad Philly accent.  Have spent time walking around  Karakoy, Ortakoy, Besiktas, Devant, Etlier, Macca, Taksim, Galata, Uskudar, Cemberlitas... the list goes on. Each place has offered something new and different, though you can see that the hottest and longest Ramadan is really starting wear.  I've seen several fights erupt out of nowhere (including the bus driver getting out of the packed bus to abuse the car in front), accidents, fainting etc. People are hot, bothered, hungry and tetchy. Lots of cafe's turn into self-service venues so as not to tempt the staff, which can be tricky to navigate. Ramadan also seems to import and/or bring out a whole other level of beggars and street people --apparently giving alms is a major part of Ramadan, so everyone is approached -- constantly. 

I decided yesterday to get out of the heat and visit 2 of Istanbul's shopping malls ( a relatively recent phenomena), which felt a bit morgue-like. To cheer myself up I went back to the Grand Bazaar, mostly to laugh at the truly horrifying mannequins with painted beards, grotesque expressions and satin dinner suits (think Chucky goes to the Prom).  I tried to photograph them but unfortunately the shop keepers were always loitering around the front near  the most hilarious ones !! Oh well, images will exist somewhere in Google-land if you need a bit of levity in your day. Anyway, missing you all and home soon xxx B

The Anarchists are Following Me!

Yesterday I revisited Taksim Square, which has now been cleared of protesters  and converted into a virtual parking lot for police riot vans and buses.  Its amazing to see how 'cleaned up' it has become, hardly a trace of the past month's activities (except some splashes of spray paint and shattered high glass panels on shops).  Will post some photos so you can compare before and after!.  
Never fear, the protesters have now moved into my local park!. Every night rallies and massive meetings (with soup kitchen style food supply) are held in the park's arena, only 200 metres from the apartment. The same is going on in other major centres, with people exploring 'where to next'.  

On a lighter note, today I took some ferry trips around the Bospherous, stopping in Ushkudar and Kadakoy for a wander around.  Had a relaxing time at an old local hamam (bathhouse) in Kadakoy where I was scrubbed clean and soaped up.  Ran into a friend of mine from Uralla (!!) and we went for dinner by the sea.  Its great to just relax a bit and chat til late.  Hopefully I will make it to Dolmanhce Palace today -- I say this everyday (its literally walking distance) but I just keep getting distracted... suppose that's what travelling is about. Home soon and can't wait to catch up xxx B

Breathing in the Bospherous

I'm sitting taking in the breeze and the magnificent view of the Bospherous, which is just mesmerizing. The call to prayers breaking the evening Ramadan fast is echoing throughout the streets as I watch tankers, ferries and yachts sail up and down the strait.  Across the water there is a low lit mosque and small palace, and the moon is almost full. Who could not love Istanbul? I've decided to spend a couple of weeks back here instead of facing Antalya's 40 degree heat.  This time I'm staying with a local architect in the 'hip' area of Bistakas (?). The streets are cobbled and steep but the area is surrounded with shops, eateries, bars and restaurants. Its nice to experience Istanbul as a local lives it, and I've already made friends with the neighbourhood  'sis' (as in Shisk Kabab) restaurant owner.  I'm not sure they get too many tourists in this little quarter, at least not ones with that deer in headlight stare when they are asked questions in Turkish. Needless to say, I will be trying out for NIDA when I return as my mime skills are  almost perfected.  Today I explored the area, tried to make it to the ferry but got waylay-ed by the ever powerful 'sale' signs. So a handbag, some dresses and -- well, the list goes on -- later I  trudged back up the hill to sit with a cuppa and take in the view.  Its now 3 hours later and I haven't moved.... its the  kind of city people could come to and never leave xxx B

Floating about in Fethiye

Oh, this is such an easy place to relax in. Warm weather and warm sea makes Fethiye fairly chilled out despite its huge tourist population. This morning I got up super-early to see the Lycian rock tombs -- as its a 200+ stair climb, I wanted an early start before the real heat set in.  Was the only one there, so I could take in the gorgeous views of the town and harbour in peace.  The tombs are amazing and right in the centre of town.  Yesterday I went to the beach resort of Calais (which is a bit like Santa Monica/Venice beach with its strip walkways adorned by shops and restaurants)  and took a water taxi back to Fethiye.  The day before was a 12 Island cruise, jumping off ship into the Mediterranean at different mooring spots.  It was sooo relaxing that I fell asleep in the sun for 10 minutes and got pretty burnt. Today is my last here before heading back to the busy whirl of Istanbul. As I write there are chickens running around me and I am overlooking the pool outside my room. This really is a place you could drift into to doing nothing for a very long time. No wonder the Greeks wrote myths warning of this apathy! Think I might read a book in the cabana for a bit.... are you jealous yet?! xxx B 

Twilight Ride in the Rose Valley ... Giddy-up!

What a way to spend my last night in Cappadocia! Took a twilight ride through the Rose Valley, with its spectacular scenery.  Not for the fainthearted, the horses traversed up and down cliffs, stopping on a peak to watch the sunset over the region.  Tomorrow I'm heading off to Fethiye on the Aegean coast for some sun and surf... well, water.  Its been hitting 40 degrees in the region, so we'll see how it goes!. Hiking Goreme's valleys was wonderful -- even saw a fairly large turtle wandering about ... in the desert!. After 6 days here, am looking forward to seeing the sea and eating some hamsi tava (fried sardines, my mouth is watering already) xxx B

Whats that definition of insanity again?

Okay, so doing the same thing again and expecting a different result may be 'insane', but this Turkish dance show was on land... 
Despite the excruciating dance show experience on the Bospherous -- iceberg, please, anyone -- I was convinced by some other travellers that this Turkish dance show was a sight not to be missed. I grant you, it was marginally better than the Istanbul experience, but it still had the obligatory puppet people  and the traditional dancers could not have been less enthused. To the untrained eye, most of the male dancing looked like a pre-wrestling match haka. Overall, a very strange night but had a good laugh with my Brazilian table-mates. In the day I finally  did the Turkish hamam/bathhouse experience. With a Kyrgis masseur, I'm now a layer of skin lighter but it was good xxx B