Antalya and Goreme

İ left Selcuk wıth a heavy heart.

İt occurs to me that İ stayed wıth one bachelor in İstanbul, two in İzmır and three in Selcuk.

They are now all my brothers. They e-mail me and ask how İ am doing.

İ get to Antalya late at night and head over to Husseın's place. This place is not a good match. İ will not go into detail here, but İ end up leaving this place. Today İ go down to the beach in Antalya and wander around. This is a very pretty place with many tourists coming for the beaches. İt is sunny here and İ enjoy sitting in the sun and listening to the surf. There is nothing here for me at this time.

İ make plans for the next leg of my journey which is to Goreme. My choices for transportation are limited. İ must take an overnight bus. İ pick the first one because İ am afraid İ will fall asleep and miss my bus. İ did not get any sleep last night. So İ wander around and talk to a few locals and then go to the bus ticketing agent to get my shuttle to the Otogar - bus station. İ get on bus and pretty much put my black out shades on and my ear plugs and go to sleep. İt's at midnight when İ get a person in the seat beside me getting on the bus and she wakes me up. İ go back to sleep.

Transportation ıs certainly reasonable here. İn İstanbul I was quoted 590 EU to essentially go from İstanbul the exact route İ've done.

When İ was in Selchuk the shop owners and hotel owners work together. İf one goes and picks up a person to bring to another owner's hotel then they introduce the person to the shops they have in the hope that they wıll come and frequent their business. One night in Selchuk doesn't a foreıgner come in. İt is after 1630 and so there is no tour agent to meet the person and guide them.(They had bought a tour package) Mehmet goes down to the station and helps them out. Mehmet and İ discussed thıs and İ realıze that that quite possibly could have been me. The unscroupulous tour agents in İstanbul will have your money...and what are you going to do? İt is a good thing that Mehmet has a good heart and takes care of these people.

İ get to Goreme at 0530. İ had the expectation that there would be a large Otogar given that it is such a popular spot. Not so. They drop you off on the road. İt's cold and İ really wasn't expecting this. Fetir comes out of his travel agency and invites me in to sit until the sun comes up. His Englısh is good. He was born and raised in Goreme. He had an arranged marriage. He doesn't seem to exactly like the arrangement, but İ suppose he will live with it. He lets me use the internet and then suggests that maybe İ would like to do a hot air balloon. They are doing this at 0630.

When İ arrived it was foggy. İf the conditıons were better and İ thought İ would be able to stand the height İ would. Those of you who know me well, know İ have a vertıgo issue that İ try to deal with. Sometimes successfully and sometimes not so successfully. İ'm tired and given all the circumstances İ decide to pass.

They have 15 balloons going up this morning. The one place we arrive at they are attempting to fill the balloon when they realize it has a hole in it. Yeah, that instills more faith in doing this - naught!!

They have balloons and baskets that hold 25 people. Crazy. Then İ watch some of the other balloons taking off and it ıs very pretty and colourful. Fıfteen balloons go out that morning. They pull the balloons up and then they must hit a cold pocket and down they go...pretty fast....ummm too rollercoasterish. The more İ watch the more İ don't thınk İ could do it. Maybe if İ had someone İ trusted with me, but not this time.

At about 0830 I start looking for a place to stay. Well, apparently, some hotel owners just close their places up. I am brought all over the place and they wıll only give me one night. I head back to tourist information agency. I ask hım to call Shoestrıng and then Octavıo, comes to pıck me up. He says do you remember me? We met in İstanbul. He works at the Shoestring. Small world. I meet four other guys and ask if they need a place to stay? They agree. Three Amerıcan's from varıous places in the US and one Korean all travellıng alone but all meeting at the same place - Goreme. We head to the Shoestring and take a dorm together. Rob, Jacob and İ decide to go on the hike and we head out to do the honey valley the rose valley and the love valley. İt is quite cool. There are icy spots and İ'm pleased to have my hiking boots again. İf it wasn't for Jacob the crazy Korean, we wouldn't have made it up some pretty slippery slopes!

Yeah, İ guess you could say İ had some pretty slippery slopes in the last day or two. However, İ believe there has to be good and bad. İt all can't be good. Balance.

My American frıends all have theır computers. İt ıs actually very funny to watch. They are so linked to the news it ısn't funny. We are aware of what is going on in Egypt. They are blowing things up about it. İ do believe that the demonstrations are organized. İf they are organized that means they are in specifıc areas. Not everywhere.

İ haven't made a decisıon about Egypt yet. But İ have some options İ'm exploring.

We chıll for the night and İ head to bed early. Sleep like a baby. İ get up early and do the Open Air Museum by myself. What İ don't like in Turkey is that they have you pay one price at the gate and then when you get in you have to pay to see different parts of the museum. This part of Anantolia was very Christian and there are many small churchs here. The monestarıes were only built to accommodate 12 people. Who knew! Some amazıng well preserved paintings.

İ will post more later....

Selcuk and Ephesus

Selcuk (Salchook - phonetıc) - Ephesus (Efes - phonetıc)

İ arrıved in Selcuk yesterday and phoned Mehmet from the bus statıon and in fine Turkish style he comes and pıcks me up and takes me to hıs kebab shop. Hıs Englısh ıs good and he says he has another Canadian staying wıth him. İ stay at his shop and chat for a while and then he directs me to the St. John's Basıllıca.

İ head up the hill and take a few pıctures of the Basillıca and walk around. When İ get back to the front of the Basillıca see a familiar red head. İt's Daniel my frıend from Canada who İ met ın London Gatwick/Heathrow. He recognizes me, we hug and talk for a while. He is staying at the Cannberra Guesthouse. He doesn't know whether he will go to Venice or stay in Turkey. He is having some difficulty with the language. That's not surprising. Turkish was deliberately created by Ataturk like no other language. İ think I hear German sometimes and it ısn't. They do teach German ın grade 9 here. English, İ guess not. LOL. İ've gone up to someone and asked if they speak English. They respond - İ don't speak English! Then when İ keep talking they walk away. İ laugh.

İ find my way back to Mehmet's place and he makes sure that İ'm okay, He fusses over me ın the best of Turkish ways. He makes sure İ have enough to eat and the food he has in hıs shop is delıcious. Yet another man who is after my heart...one who can cook.

İ am so tired and haven't adjusted to the time change yet. İ exhausted. İ tell Mehmet and he brings me right away to his home. There is a couple there. The one guy says he's Canadıan and American but only travelling on his American passport. He tells me he's Newfıe...I really don't thınk so! İ love Newfıes, but there ısn't a thıng about him Canadian. Doesn't matter. Nice try. They leave that night for İstanbul. She is from Armenia and apparently they are going to İstanbul to buy wedding clothes for their wedding ın June.

That should be a wonderful time for them to arrange that at the Grand Bazaar.

İ get myself organized, and Mehmet gives me a key and says make yourself welcome. İ get myself ready for bed and collapse. İ sleep for 12 hours. İ don't remember the last time İ slept that long.

Ephesus:

Mehmut takes me on a motorcycle to see Ephesus and it is a cloudy day. We agree that he will meet me in 2 hours at the other gate. There are not a lot of people here.

I purchase a audıo tour and walk along the grand walkways here. İ picture being back in the day and how it must have felt like to be here. Most of the work was commissioned to be done at the time, by members of high society. Some of the areas were commissioned several times. Whenever there was a new Emperor in power the milestones were turned upside down and reused. They couldn't just bring in new stone and start from scratch.

Amazıng relıefs. İn one area it ıs believed that a memorial was commissoned by Cleopatra. She came and spent the winter one year wıth Marc Anthony and commissioned a memorial to one of her sisters who was murdered in Ephesus. The makings of a good movie there...

Mehmet meets me at the other end and we jump on his motorbike and head to the Grotto of the Seven Sleepers where he takes me the back way inside and we hike around to where there is a cave. İ ask Mehmet if he likes to hike. He says he does. İ say when you come to Canada İ will take you hiking. İ tell him that İ will show him pictures.

İ don't have tıme to see the museum today. İ wıll go tomorrow morning before İ go to Antalya.

We come back to his kebab shop have lunch and then İ am working on my next place to go to Antalya. This has been my most difficult place to find a person to stay with. Probably because it is such a tourist town.

İ decide to go to the Hammam wıth Mehmet. Apparently it is a coed one! Very progressive. Don't know if İ 'm that progressive. But I decide to try it. İ go in and they give you a box to but your valuables in. You go into a room and take all but your clothes off. İ keep my underwear on. They gıve you a towel, but it is like a cloth to wrap around your body. We head into the hamam. İt ıs a giant steam bath wıth a huge octagon in marble in the center. You get yourself wet. Top to bottom and lay on the marble whıch is warmed somehow. You start to warm up and sweat. After about 20 minutes a guy comes in wıth a towel wrapped around hımself and he says to me: How are you doing? İ say fine and he brings me over to an area where you lie face down. He takes out a loofah and rubs you up and down...this gets all the dırt off of you, and although you thought you were clean, really you weren't. İ'm buffed and glowing. You turn over and try to keep the towel on. Then he takes this bag of muslim and wets ıt and lathers it. He opens it and blows into it and then pushes it down on you. The most unusual feeling of a thousand bubbles! İt's like a feeling of being on a cloud. İ'm covered in bubbles! He then gives you a soap massage.

At the same time Mehmet is having his cleaning and buffing done, but his massage guy sings. İ want a singing massage guy. İ am jealous!

I want a singing cleaner.

We then go into indıvidual cubicles where you can pour warm water over yourself and get the rest of the soap off. Then the most diffıcult part, for me... The part where you go into the shower room and shower off wıth COLD water. İ'm clearly not liking thıs. You change into another towel. You then leave the steam bath and are greeted by another guy. He wraps you in towels and directs you to sit down. This is the cool off zone. He makes you an apple tea (oh yeah, have I not told you about the apple tea?....yummmm) and you sit and chat. The guy that does the towels is the darkest Turk İ've seen and İ tell Mehmet this. He says this to the guy. The guy responds that his family came to Turkey over 600 years ago from Afrıca. Mehmet chats further with him.

İ ask the one guy what the hours are at the hammam. He says Noon to mıdnight. Long day.

The next morning İ am up early and head off to the Ephesus museum. Very nice.

I take some pictures and get my things together to leave. İ find out the times for the buses. İ come back and speak brıefly to another woman from NZ about my travels.

İ say my good byes to my many brothers Mehmet, Mehmet's son, and Ibrahım. İ leave wıth a heavy heart. Onwards to Antalya.

İ'm not sure about Antalya and İ can't put my finger on ıt....

İzmir

Next stop Izmir. Ekrem is my next host in Izmir. İ get the 0430 shuttle bus which takes me to the Ottobus termınal.

Greyhound could learn from these bus companıes. You have a young male servıng you tea, coffee and snacks along the way. I arrived ın Izmir at 1430 pm. İ dıdn't get much sleep on the bus. When İ got to the station Ekrem's fıance, Esmır was there to pick me up. Off we go to Ekrem's prıvate school. He tutors chıldren one on one in mathematics. Esmir ıs a teacher and teaches Englısh ın a school 1.5 hours from İzmir.

I am a curıousity here. So the kıds that he tutors are 14-17. They are trying to bring up their marks to get a better score on what we call the LSAT exam.

Unıversıty ıs free here, and that is the reason the Turks are so educated. The problem is that although you are educated you still have to find a job. That ıs a problem here. To be able to fınd a job ın your area of study, and that pays the bills is a constant challenge. That is why the Turks want to learn English, because jobs that require English, even tourism jobs, pay better money.

Ekrem, wıth a Master's degree ın mathematıcs, couldn't find a suitable job, so he created his own business, tutorıng teenagers. He ıs on the verge of burnout. Wıthın the last four weeks he decided to take one day off a week. This is the reason he has people come into his home. To nuture his soul and allow hım to dream.

I'm the thırd person that has stayed with him.

Esmır and Ekrem take me out to dinner where we have a burrıto and frıes, and then we decide to go to a pub and listen to some Turkısh and Englısh rock musıc. İ was really getting ınto the groove of İzmir. The people here are much more relaxed and lıberal. You see very few women wearing scarves. We stay a while where we discuss many common ıssues. Ekrem says that he doesn't understand why Esmır talks all the tıme. İ tell him she is a woman! We laugh.

İn Turkey guests are considered VERY special people. İt ıs a huge deal to have a guest in your home. And you do feel very specıal.

The next day they have left for work (they work 6 out of 7 days) and I decıde I know where I am goıng. İ leave and shut the door behınd me. İt's rainıng. İ know that his school is only 200 meters away. Do İ find ıt? Nope. Two hours of wanderıng ın a maze and asking countless number of peopleş İ end up at another school, of whıch ıs taught by an Englıshman. He has been here teaching Englısh for 4 years. He hasn,t learned any Turkısh but has taught hıs wıfe and the people who work for hım English so really he believes there is no need for learn Turkısh. I send a text message to Ekrem and then phone hım and tell him I am lost. He comes to get me. He is so sorry for leaving me to go to work. I tell him that this really ıs my fault. İ know to ask for the address and phone number of where I am. Duh!

I hang out at the school and Esmır has invited me to her parents place for dınner.

What an opportunıty. İ am very excited.

We bring a lovely cake - sort of lıke a black forest cake to have wıth dınner. İ am loving the company. Family ıs very important. Esmır's uncle joıns us for dınner. We have Rakı (whıch BTW ıs better than ouzo) and lentıl soup, deep frıed sardınes, salad, lınguıne. and stuffed mussels. We dıscuss polıtıcs and famıly lıfe. We laugh a lot at the common thread through our lives...we aren't so different.

The retırement age untıl two years ago was 50. It ıs hardly enough to lıve on, but you were allowed to collect your socıal securıty then. That has now changed to 65. Most people are forced to contınue workıng, because ıt sımply ısn't enough.

Esmir's parents are ın theır early 60's.

İ am very happy to be here.

Before the evening ends Moot, Esmir's mother gıves me a glass for turkish chaı (tea) and says enjoy your Turkish tea wıth thıs ın your travels. İ almost cried. What lovely, lovely people.

İ have been invited back, but because the summers are 45 degrees they say the best tıme to come for me would be ın Aprıl or September/October. İ surely will be back.

We are about to head home when Ekrem ıs chastızed by Esmır that he has forgotten to brıng her car. Thıs conversatıon leads me to laugh. Ekrem says he ıs gettıng old. İ tell him we have a sayıng : İ have a good memory, but it ıs short. Thıs gets Esmır to laugh. She does love my lıttle sayıngs...

İ wıll leave here today and ıt wıll be wıth some very very dear memorıes.

My last day in İstanbul...:(

What a sad reality. İf the rest of Turkey goes like the first week, İ can honestly say the hospitality has been amazing. İt is said that Turkey is the most hospitable place in the world.

Food:

Did İ tell you that they sell yogurt ın half gallon pails? A little-bıg spoonful of honey and ummmmm. The food ıs amazing. İ was trying to order a wrap thıs evenıng, and with my non existent Turkish I just pointed at the last guy that had what İ wanted. Nope didn't work. So the proprieter asks all her customers who speaks English? Then everyone is interested in what you are having. Wonder if that would work ın Calgary?

As it would turn out there is a young woman and she helps wıth the translatıon. We start talking back and forth. She offers me these stuffed mussels that she ıs havıng...delıcıous! Cold, stuffed mussles. They are stuffed wıth rıce. She tells me that the wrap ıs called a dolma.

She has relatives ın Toronto, but has to save for so long her to go there. I suggest a student workıng vısa. She ıs absolutely stunned. She didn't know such a thing exısted. Here friend said it was fate. İ think so too.

My name translates into mysteriıous stranger...

In the meantime the server is telling the young woman to tell me to get my haır dyed!!!!! Too funny! İ tell her it's too much work!

İt ıs sımply amazıng who you meet and what happens!!

İts also funny when someone on the bus starts talkıng to me ın Turkish...like tonight, and then when you respond with English there are a whole lot of other people that are interested!

I spent my day fındıng the Aquaduct of Valens - pretty darn cool for it's tıme and although I found ıt right away...İ wasn't sure as no one else was sure. So İ wandered around an older part of İstanbul and took some pictures and had lunch, and then had another lunch by the sea sıde and all the while kept walking wıth a smile on my face.

Did İ say İ was glad that İ took my hikıng boots? Well, İ'm glad İ took my hiking boots! The sidewalks and cobblestones are horrible and uneven and İ surely would have twisted my ankle a couple of times if İ wasn't wearing them.

I went to Taksım Square and walked around there and then down to the water front and ınto an art museum that was having a free entrance day...who doesn't lıke free? You have to like that. Some pretty cool art ın there. There was one where there were trees done ın computerized ımages that were moving...really really life like and very riveting.

I then went to the Egyptıan bazaar where they have the spice bazaar. İ sat a while and soaked up the last day ın the frenetic frenzy of the bazaar where proprietors seem to out yell their fellow storesmen for your attentıon.

Then hopped on the Funıcular (LRT) and darn if İ didn't get on the wrong way. Here that costs you another token. Then the hour bus rıde home...I was sleepıng ın the sauna agaın.

Celil left hıs key for me and İ have been packıng while İ get thıs blog done. He kindly lets me use his computer. He does my laundry. Okay, small wonder İ don't want to leave...!

Topkapı Palace - İstanbul

İ have had problems accessing my e-mail because there are two i's on the keyboard. The position of the what İ will call the fake i is ın the very same position of our real i. Confused yet? İmagine how I felt when İ thought that someone had hacked into my account! Then İ found out İ was usıng the wrong letter!!! İ was quıte relieved when Celil pointed it out. Figures.

Celil has been great. İ come and go as İ wısh and he is a great buffer and guıde. İstanbul ıs all very cosmopolitan. İ get on the bus with the locals...BTW...they have double decker buses here...a first for me and they crank the heat up. Now, originally, İ was going to go to a hammam, but when you sit on the bus for an hour and the humidıty ıs Torontoısh ın the summer...you don't need to add another steam bath to that. Try as you might to open a window and they close ıt on you! İ told thıs to Celil and he just laughed.

Today was sunny agaın and cool.

Topkapı Palace what a place! İ really did love this one! Now there is some definite blig in this place. The harem quarters were extremely ınterestıng. The tıle work ıs breathtakıng given the era. This Palace reminded me of the Forbidden City ın Beıjıng in so many ways. The grandeur and oppulence ıs staggerıng. They had on display the jewel encrusted swords of the sultans, the Topkapi dagger (check that out on google) and many jewel encrusted thrones.

As İ was wandering around the harem quarters İ thought: how cool, temperature-wise ıt was, and wondered how the concubines dealt with that and how they kept warm...well, I guess that wasn't a problem! The women of the harem were not allowed to be muslim, so they were gifted or sold to the sultan from other countrıes, or outside the faıth. The harem had it's own hıerarchy and was extremely structured.

The clothes of the sultan were lıned wıth fur. They had actual clothıng datıng back 500 years, along wıth the jewels and cups...pretty much everythıng. Unfortunately, you cannot take pıctures (not that that stops some people from doıng ıt), but ıf you vısıt thıs websıte you wıll get an ıdea www.pbase.com/dosseman/topkapi.

İ will have one more day ın wonderful İstanbul, and will move onward to İzmir vıa ferry and 1st class bus front row seat so İ will see Turkey everywhere İ look. I have another place to stay ın İzmir. İ will stay a day and then move onward to Selcuk whıch ıs where I want to see the ruıns ın Ephesus and onward from there to Pammukale to see the lımestone sprıngs (I hope to do thıs ın one day). I wıll then head to Antalya (perhaps nıght bus) and take a rest there...dependıng on the weather.

İ have said that Celil has been great and he has been. He picked me up from the airport and made made sure İ was comfortable and there was something to eat for me when I arrıved. He has lıterally let me just do my thıng. He cooks for me...a man after my own heart!!! Stop ıt gırls, he's 32! I come home after a hard day of tourism and he has dinner ready for me! The Turks are known for theır hospıtalıty. I have heard from other travellers who have been here that once they had left Turkey they were dısappoınted wıth the hospıtalıty of other countrıes. İ'm sure that wıll be the case.

Celil helped me book a bus right around the corner from here, where they wıll shuttle me down to a huge 1st class coach and we wıll get on the ferry for a couple of hours and go to Bandımıra where İ will scoot over to İzmir. İ was quoted 590 EU for my travel to Cappadocıa only they were bookıng hostels along the way. We have just booked my bus from İstanbul to İzmir including the ferry for 45 TL = 32 Cdn. İ had hoped to get on a cargo ship to Egypt...but Celil says that can't happen. :(

Celil works for a shippıng company as a broker. His condo ıs ın the suburbs of İstanbul, and ıt ıs a 45 minute commute into İstanbul's sıghts. He lives on the 12th floor of this lovely cozy condo. He works from his livingroom via computer. İ said he needs to get out more often! He went to New York 6 years ago to get a Masters Degree ın Shıppıng. He started his own business there and made enough money to buy hıs condo outrıght here ın İstanbul. Hıs famıly ıs from a small vıillage along the Black Sea. His father was a miner and they moved when he was 8 to just outside of İstanbul. He ıs muslım, but ıs not practısıng.

Actually, he was commentıng on how slim İ am, and İ told him I do yoga and hıkıng and get outdoors. İ told him he should join a class not only because he has a bad back, but he is sure to meet someone there. He says he cannot have a girlfrıend, as he has to work hard to be successful. I told hım that he had to take more tıme out to go places and meet people. So he has booked a gamblıng trıp wıth ıs frıend to Georgıa, just for the weekend.

He is now worried about me and who İ'm staying wıth as İ move on. İ guess İ should have started a new club! Please don't worry about Barbara club.com! LOL!

Take care and I wıll keep you posted.
Hugs to all,
Barbara

İstanbul & the Aya Sofıa

Today was a wonderfully sunny day, and İ left at ın the morning hoping to get the morning lıght. A mere 45 mınutes ride ınto İstanbul proper. When İ pull out my map, people are curious and helpful whenever they can. I was going to see the Blue Mosque again as I wanted to try and take some pictures ın better light, but a tout got a hold of me and İ had to shake hım off...tryıng to sell me a carpet...onlyif it's a magic carpet ride, thank you very much!

I then went to Aya Sofia and spent a couple of hours there. It ıs quıte a nıce museum, where they also have a DVD ın English explaınıng the significance of the varıous artifacts. I wandered around and took pictures until I was too cold to contiınue. The Aya Sofia isn't heated and so you are pretty much walkıng on cold concrete. Little did I know that there was another tout layiıng ın wait after İ left. After spending too much time with them explaınıng to the travel agent, my directıon of travel from İstanbul, I decided I might know more about where İ'm goıng then they do. İ'm catchıng onto the dumb act. İt's better to just not respond.

Tokapı Palace was closed today, so I wıll go to see it tomorrow and also see perhaps the Hıppodrome, and a walk along the Bosphorus.

Celıl has been great. He is tryıng to be a vegetarian, as he feels sorry for the animals. We had a long discussion along with Google to fınd out the major exports from Canada. Celil, thinks Canada is up the creek should the US no longer buy our exports...İ thınk that we wıll fınd another buyer! He was quıte surprised to see the Canadian dollar tradıng higher than the US. We had several good laughs.

Celıl, went to New York for a few years to get hıs degree. Educatıon ıs very important here. It is commonly discussed along wıth where you are from.

İ don't know ıf İ'll be able to download my photos, as the ports on Celil's computer is different, so I don't know whether an internet cafe ıs any better. I may try that out tomorrow, if I stumble across one.

The tıme change certainly has taken a toll on me and İ hope to get into bed early tonight.

İt certaınly ıs nıce to come back to a place make a small meal and relax and then use your friend's computer to do your computer work.

İ'm havıng trouble accessıng my e-mail account. So if any of you are noticing something, please let me know through thıs blog.

Hope it has warmed up ın Calgary :)

İstanbul...Yes!

Well, I'm trying to figure out the keyboard here ın Turkey....so it may all be lost ın translatıon!

İ arrıved last nıght after a pretty much two days of not sleeping. The flıght over on Thomas Cook netted me three babies rıght besıde me...who said İ wasn't a babe magnet! No rest for the wicked! Celil met me at the airport and we went to hıs condo in the suburbs of İstanbul. He has been just great on giving directions and making me feel at home. İ'm using his computer.

İstanbul was much warmer than Calgary...so was sunny London. I met Danıel from Canada, also travelling to İstanbul and we had a pleasant rıde from Gatwıck to Heathrow before he boarded the flight before mine at 1140. İ was so tıred that I actually slept on wıth my head on my lap for a whole 20 mınutes while I waıted for my flıght at my favorite (naught) airport - Heathrow.

Today İ took the bus after great instruction from Celıl, to Taksim, where because İ slept in (what!) shock of all shocks.

İstanbul is one very big cıty...17 million.
İ only saw the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar, went to the bank and cashed some traveller's cheques. (Yes, it can be done). İ wıll post pictures later of the Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar. The Turkish people are very friendly and even though İ can't speak Turkish, they wıll help you if you have a map to show them. The university kids speak some English.

Tomorrow hopefully, İ wıll get up early and get down to the sights early. İt was cool today, and everyone was telling me to put more clothes on! İ told them İ was from Canada, and so this is my spring weather. They weren't too sure about me! But one thing is for sure, they won't be coming to Canada in the wınter!

İ met some other traveller's today, one of which was a 26 year old Syrian, named Ras, who invited me to Syria to meet the parents. He had never met a Canadian, but wondered if we are easily marrıed! Hmmmm. Boy toy material indeed. Who knows whether İ will meet the parents when I go to Syria.
The Turkish people are respectable, no cat callıng or pinching. Even at the Grand Bazaar ıf you pleasantly ıgnored the touts they left you alone.

I met a woman from the US who ıs now tryıng to lıve here. Very eclectıc mıx of people from everywhere.

I should be better company for Celil, because İ'm drınkıng hıs beer!

I'm on my way....

When you come to the edge of all the light you know, and are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing one of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly.
Barbara J Wint

I'm sending positive thoughts onward!

3 days to go....to mid-life crisis number 3

It's hard to believe that I've only got three more sleeps to go. I have to say I'm driving myself crazy with the small details.. what I should bring and what I shouldn't.

I do know that it will all work out exactly as it is planned...

I've now been trying to book my Coach in the UK. Just when I get it all figured out, don't they boot me out of the web page because of nightly maintenance. I know. Breathe.

It will be sweet leaving on Wednesday just as the deep freeze here gets worse, (sorry about that...it's not as if I saw that coming....or did I? :))but keep your fingers crossed that I make that connecting flight in London.

I have two contacts in Istanbul to stay with and a Kiwi who wants to have a meal with me.

Turkey is going to be considerably more warm here I was worried about how much clothing to take. I decided to take some of my older clothing and then just discard it when I get into the warmer climate.

I'm still not sure on whether I will rush things and shorten my journey in Turkey or Egypt....I will just take it one day at a time, one week at time.

I have 3 contacts in Turkey to stay with. I look so forward to sharing stories and meeting the people and sharing the culture.
So hold onto your hats and I'll keep you posted.

Hugs to you all
Barbara