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We long have left Turkey behind us. Lot’s of other things had been on our minds in the months since the goodbyes from this great country. Yet the memories are still very much fresh so it won’t be difficult to look back retrospectively. After the stints in India and China we were looking forward to get to Europe. And so we did. Taking off from Goa, with an unmemorable stop in Doha, our plane landed at Atatürk Airport, Istanbul – Europe. Within an hour of arrival we found ourselves already again walking on Asian territory. What happened? Didn’t we have the required $20 at the ready for a visa and got deported on the next plane to Burma? No, nothing quite so serious, all we did is hop- on a ferry criss-crossing the Bosporus to find our Guesthouse on the “other” side of Istanbul. Asia. Living at the cross roads of Eurasia is not only a daily issue for Istanbul, it is ever present in the whole of Turkey. As are Religion: can the Turks continue with a secular system or should they embrace an Islamic-based governance system. Economy: is Turkey finally able to join the EU in the West, or is it wiser to look east for its partners? Historically: Turkey also proved major turning points and landmarks for countless empires and armies. Needless to say this doesn’t need to be told to any true blue Aussie, though.
It's religion too. pick your team carefully
That very first day in Istanbul we didn’t waste long to spoil our tummies with long awaited tastes and textures. I swear I could hear angels sings while biting in to that Balak Ekmek, a small loaf of crusty white bread with some salad and a barbequed oil dripping fillet of a Black Sea fish. Bread, lamb, cheese, chicken, fish, salad, olives and tomatoes in countless combinations and variations were our steady choice of food from that first day to the last, from breakfast to dinner. Plus scoffing the occasional kebab for a in between snack.
The two big ticket items. Aya Sofia and Blue Mosque. Both incredibly impressive.
Apart from digesting our carbohydrate laden diet, we had a great pleasure in ticking off all those numerous and majestic landscapes, historic landmarks and religious places of pilgrimage in this surprisingly huge nation. Turkey has just so much to offer. First we had leave Istanbul, which proved a difficult task itself. Over two visits, we stayed nearly a month in this fabulous city, there seemed always more to see and do, more mosques to visit barefooted, more sugary black tea to be drunk, more fishermen to be watched pulling in the tiniest catch, more ferries to catch to Europe, Asia and back and more daring galleries to track. Once we were ready to leave the town at last behind we spend another eternity getting beyond it fast crawling periphery. Currently the city counts its population at 20 million.
Galatasary. One of the uncountable districts. Like most, built on a hill.
Second national sport after soccer. Fish'n
All in all, it’s the Turkish people who really made Turkey for us. We spend quite a few nights on generous Couchsurfing hosts’ sofa/bed/mattresses. Their hospitality and motherly care was overwhelming. But also in chance meeting strolling the streets or sitting in restaurants we enjoy warm, genuine and very memorable interactions. We had long haul bus tickets paid for by people of modest backgrounds, an endless supply of Turkish tea was the norm even at military checkpoints, and evening meals paid despite our protest.
National drink, followed closely by Coke. Black tea.
It seemed the Turks have a bit of soft spot for Aussies. Gallipoli is deeply entrenched in even young Turkish minds and the knowledge of the ANZACs, despite the bloodshed; in present are seen as much-respected opponents. If the mention of Gallipoli wasn’t the answer of intrigued fellows pinpointing our origins, then dropping some hints would normally do the job: a) an obvious one “Kangaroo” or b) best mentioned in the double pack “Harry Kewell and Lucas O’Neill”. Turks are red-hot soccer fanatics and always know that these two guys play for Galatasary Istanbul as well as the Socceroos.
Too much for me. Historic pillars and a lonely tree in a kitschy sunset.
Excuse us for not going into great depth about all the ruins and mosques we have visited on foot between being spoilt with coffee and cake on bus journeys, but we need something to talk about when catching up sooner or later. Whether it be walking the shores of Australia, strolling Berlin’s Quartierläden or while diving chunks of bread into bubbling cheese in that lovely Alphut. And then we don’t want to spoil any of your future journeys to Turkey, which we naturally from our hearts recommend.
Market day in Egridir. We were spoilt with cheese, honey and fruit tasters.
Probably a very old gate. Ghingis Khan possibly passed through it.
Turkey's answer to the Big Prawn
From East Anatonlia to Baltimore, everybody loves baggy pants
very old meets old.
Cycling fanatic with bread
Kat thinks it is too abstract. Maybe. But the whirling dervishes performance was very special.
Cave life in Cappadocia.
Normally we see it from the plane. It looked as impressive on the ground. Mt Ararat with Noah's ferry.
A unforgettable feast in the far eastern corners of Kurdistan
We weren't the only tourists in town.
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