Last few days in Turkey

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Back street in Safranbolu

I'm feeling homesick today. I'm getting this feeling from time to time lately. This is a good thing. I don't miss my country or the mountains or my hometown today. (I missed the mountains immensely when I was in Armenia.) But I miss people. I miss my grandchildren, my children, my friends, my cat. I miss long talks with Michelle, when we discuss everything from the meaning of life to the meaning of life. I miss laughing until I cry with Sarina. I miss Catherine's great hugs and vibrant spirit beside me. I miss David's sweet smile and gentle humor. I miss my friends and our long talks and long walks.

I'm not ready to settle down yet though. That worries me a bit. But not too much. :o). I wonder sometimes if I'll ever overcome this restlessness. Even to stay 3 days in one place feels so long. What will it be like when I settle down permanently – whatever that means. I've traveled enough now that everything feels "normal" to me. I've seen enough different toilets, sleeping arrangements, foods, faces, landscapes, cities so that it all feels like home anymore. It's interesting. I feel more like a world citizen. That's a good feeling. It feels broader, more connected to all people. But in a way it's a sad feeling. I feel as if I have no small spot on the land that I'm really connected to. For all of my life I've felt so connected to Colorado and longed for a broader connection. Now that I have that broader connection . . . . where to anchor my little ship, this body of mine . . . .

Yoruk, small village near Safranbolu

Today will be a quiet day. Safranbolu is a small town, very easily explored in two days. I walked all around it twice yesterday, as well as taking a taxi ride to the neighboring village and walking around there. But there are houses and a museum to see here so my day will fill. There's a park at the top of a hill overlooking town. I'll take my lunch and hike up there then perhaps will walk farther afield.

Safranbolu

Thursday, May 6, 2010
I've stayed in Turkey a few days too long. Or not. Had I left after only one week I would have longed to come back. Now, I feel fulfilled. Turkey is very touristic. Safranbolu is a lovely little tourist town, similar to Estes Park in Colorado. There are a half-dozen old Ottoman houses that have been restored as museums (some decorated with furniture from the 1950s). There's a restaurant on every corner, though I never ate out as the home where I stayed provided wonderful home cooked meals. Oh, so wonderful!

The cobbled streets are lined with nic-nac-stuff shops. There are dozens of shops selling scarves, wooden toys, and the delicious trademark of Safranbolu, Turkish Delight. The salespeople are lack-luster today though. I walk past a shop and catch the seller's eye and she waves her hand wanly in the direction of her shop. Having been in the craft business myself I understand. When sales are dead it's hard to have enthusiasm for the random person strolling past.

Yoruk, May 5

A bus-load of tourists arrived yesterday. They filled the immediate space wherever they were walking but for the most part the streets remained delightfully quiet. I can imagine that it becomes quite bustling at times though. There's a large open square in the middle of town which would be ideal for open-air markets. Several restaurants have places for musicians. But today . . . we're taking the idea of sleepy little town to the next level.

Tomorrow I'll catch the big bus to Istanbul. I'm looking forward to the hustle and bustle of the city after all. Another traveler told me about the land walls that surrounds the city, the last remains of the city's Byzantine past. "Pierced by monumental gates and strengthened by towers, they encompass the city center in a great arc, stretching all the way from … the Sea of Marmara to … the Golden Horn. On the Golden Horn end, the most outstanding sight is the Church of St Saviour in Chora, with beautifully preserved mosaics and frescoes. On the Sea of Marmara, four miles away, is the Fortress of Seven Towers - Yedikule Hisari." Another writer notes that the Fortress is notorious as a place of torture and execution. "Out of favour diplomats and disliked family members of the Sultan were incarcerated here, often with grizzly results." (www.travbuddy.com/Fortress-of-Seven-Towers-v385546) Sounds like a fun place! I shall try to wend my way there by city bus, though I doubt I'll be able to explore the entire stretch.

Added Jan 17, 2011:
I visited the Fortress with a few other tourists. We also drew Ugur along with us for a day on the town. It was here that the men decided they should climb up on the Fortress wall and walk across. This however is looked down upon by the local police and a scolding ensued.

Climbing the wall. Two up, one to go!

Checking IDs

Even innocent bystanders got checked out

All ended well and we continued on our merry way, unscathed but humbled . . . .

Safranbolu

I found Safranbolu quite by accident. I wanted to meet Kitty and Claudia in Istanbul on Friday and I needed to find a place to stay for the 3-4 intervening days. So I picked up the Turkey Guide at the hostel and looked at the map for towns between Cappadocia and Istanbul. Someone had previously circled Safranbolu, so I read:
"During the 17th century, the main Ottoman trade route between Gerede and the Black Sea coast passed through Safranbolu, bringing commerce, prominence and money to the town. During the 18th and 19th centuries Safranbolu's wealthy inhabitants built mansions of sun-dried mud-bricks, wood and stucco, while the larger population of prosperous artisans built less impressive but similarly sturdy homes. Safranbolu owes its fame to the large numbers of these dwellings that have survived.
"The most prosperous Safranbolulus maintained two households. In winter they occupied town houses in the Carsi (Market) district, which is situated at the meeting point of three valleys and so protected from the winter winds. During the warm months they moved to summer houses in the garden suburb of Baglar (Vineyards). When the iron and steelworks at Karabuk were established in 1938, modern factory houses started to encroach on Baglar, but Carsi has remained virtually untouched. During the 19th century about 20% of Safranbolu's inhabitants were Ottoman Greeks, but most of their descendants moved to Greece during the population exchange after WWI."

I looked at pictures on the internet and was convinced. I booked the $28 bus trip from Cappadocia to Safranbolu for Monday. The 8 ½ hour ride took me mostly through open plains and farmlands, past numerous small towns with red tile-roofed houses tucked against hillsides or among green pastures. For nearly an hour we rode along the shore a great salt lake, the white shore on the far side looking more like a long, thin white cloud floating above it than land. In the last two hours the land began to undulate, mountains slowly appearing out of plains, forests replacing fields. At last we dipped and turned into a valley. We left the bus and entered a private van. The pavement soon disappeared and was replaced by cobbled roads as we curved 'round and down. The 21st century faded behind us and we entered an old world.

No matter that I had read, "Just walking through Carsi is a feast for the eyes. . . Safranbolu is universally acknowledged to contain the country's single finest collection of pre-independence domestic architecture." I still was not prepared for the feast. Walking Safranbolu's narrow cobbled streets is a walk through the 17th century. Women in colorful head scarves sit chatting on stools and doing handwork outside their picturesque homes; men and women sell their goods from small shops in the old caravanserai, the walkway covered by tarps tied up and across and meeting each other in the middle. Even the one internet shop doesn't disturb the sense of timelessness here. No flashing lights advertising "Internet". Instead, a wooden sign blends into the building's exterior and states quietly "Pasa Internet."

Rather than re-creating the wheel to describe the house I'm staying in, I'll once again quote from the guidebook: "Ottoman wooden houses generally had two or three storeys, the upper storeys jutting out over the lower ones on carved corbels (brackets). Their timber frames were filled with adobe and then plastered with a mixture of mud and straw. Sometimes the houses were left unsealed, but in towns they were usually given a finish of plaster or whitewash, with decorative flourishes in plaster or wood. The wealthier the owner, the fancier the decoration.
"Inside, the larger houses had 10-12 rooms, divided into selamik (men's quarters) and haremlik (women's quarters). Rooms were often decorated with built-in niches and cupboards, and had fine plaster fireplaces with yasmaks (conical hoods). Sometimes the ceilings were very elaborate; that of the Pasa Odasi of Tokat's Latifoglu Konagi, for example, is thought to emulate a chandelier in wood.
"Details to look out for inside the Safranbolu houses include their hayats (courtyard areas where the animals lived and tools were stored); ingenious donme dolaplar (revolving cupboards that made it possible to prepare food in one room and pass it to another without being seen); bathrooms hidden inside cupboards; and central heating systems that relied on huge fireplaces. Sedirs (bench seating that ran round the walls) [where I'm sitting as I type] doubled as beds, with the bedding being stored in the bathrooms, which converted neatly into cupboards during the day."

On the bus to Safranbolu, I sit beside a 24-year-old Turkish woman, a nurse heading home to Kurbuk to visit her family for a week. She speaks halting English and wants to share some of her country's history and culture with me. As is often the case, politics comes up. "Do you like George Bush?" she asks – a common question. "No," I answer. "The Turkish people do not do wars," she tells me, and I reflect on what she is saying. Indeed, the US has troops stationed all over the world, continues to support covert military action and has two on-going active wars, while the Turks have none. "We cry for the Iraqi people and their suffering," she tells me. I assure her that I, too, cry for the Iraqi people, that I don't want war, that the US government does not represent my beliefs nor that of many US citizens, but that we are unable to stop the government. She understands: governments do not always express the will of the people. Though she may be a bit deluded about the extent of her own government's policies – perhaps she has been told a different story than I have been told about the Armenians, the Greeks, the Kurds – I do believe that she and other average Turks share my love for peace in the world. "Read the Koran," she tell me. "You will see that Islam is about loving others. Each day I thank God 5 times a day." Her words confirm my experiences here: over and again I am greeted by warmth, generosity, kindness and friendship.

Turkey has far exceeded my expectations in every way imaginable: the breath-taking landscapes, the fascinating history that is also my history, and the warmth and friendliness of the people who live here.

Wednesday, May 4, 2010 - Today I took a shared taxi with Etty and Sammy (from Minnesota) to the

nearby village of Yoruk Kuyu (Nomad Village). According to the Lonely Planet blip: "[It's] a beautiful settlement of crumbling old houses once inhabited by the dervish Bektasi sect. The government forced the nomads to settle here so it could tax them, and the villagers grew rich from their baking prowess." It truly was a beautiful old settlement. We walked through the village – we were the only tourists there and only some 30 people live there now - and toured an old Ottoman house. The woman who gave us the tour spoke only Turkish. She was so animated in her presentation that life in the households during Ottoman times came alive for us. We could almost see the women hiding behind the wooden wall by the door, placed so that the men could not see them when they came to the door for some reason. She lifted my foot to the stone wash basin to demonstrate the foot-washing technique and took us into the circular cushioned room where the women would do namas and were shown how one wall had a small niche cut in it to indicate the direction of mecca.

Tuesday ın Safranbolu

I found Safranbolu quite by accident. I wanted to meet Kitty and Claudia in Istanbul on Friday and I needed to find a place to stay for the 3-4 intervening days. So I picked up the Turkey Guide at the hostel and looked at the map for towns between Cappadocia and Istanbul. Someone had previously circled Safranbolu, so I read:
"During the 17th century, the main Ottoman trade route between Gerede and the Black Sea coast passed through Safranbolu, bringing commerce, prominence and money to the town. During the 18th and 19th centuries Safranbolu's wealthy inhabitants built mansions of sun-dried mud-bricks, wood and stucco, while the larger population of prosperous artisans built less impressive but similarly sturdy homes. Safranbolu owes its fame to the large numbers of these dwellings that have survived.
"The most prosperous Safranbolulus maintained two households. In winter they occupied town houses in the Carsi (Market) district, which is situated at the meeting point of three valleys and so protected from the winter winds. During the warm months they moved to summer houses in the garden suburb of Baglar (Vineyards). When the iron and steelworks at Karabuk were established in 1938, modern factory houses started to encroach on Baglar, but Carsi has remained virtually untouched. During the 19th century about 20% of Safranbolu's inhabitants were Ottoman Greeks, but most of their descendants moved to Greece during the population exchange after WWI."

I looked at pictures on the internet and was convinced. I booked the $28 bus trip from Cappadocia to Safranbolu for Monday. The 8 ½ hour ride took me mostly through open plains and farmlands, past numerous small towns with red tile-roofed houses tucked against hillsides or among green pastures. For nearly an hour we rode along the shore a great salt lake, the white shore on the far side looking more like a long, thin white cloud floating above it than land. In the last two hours the land began to undulate, mountains slowly appearing out of plains, forests replacing fields. At last we dipped and turned into a valley. We left the bus and entered a private van. The pavement soon disappeared and was replaced by cobbled roads as we curved 'round and down. The 21st century faded behind us and we entered an old world.

No matter that I had read, "Just walking through Carsi is a feast for the eyes. . . Safranbolu is universally acknowledged to contain the country's single finest collection of pre-independence domestic architecture." I still was not prepared for the feast. Walking Safranbolu's narrow cobbled streets is a walk through the 17th century. Women in colorful head scarves sit chatting on stools and doing handwork outside their picturesque homes; men and women sell their goods from small shops in the old caravanserai, the walkway covered by tarps tied up and across and meeting each other in the middle. Even the one internet shop doesn't disturb the sense of timelessness here. No flashing lights advertising "Internet". Instead, a wooden sign blends into the building's exterior and states quietly "Pasa Internet."

Rather than re-creating the wheel to describe the house I'm staying in, I'll once again quote from the guidebook: "Ottoman wooden houses generally had two or three storeys, the upper storeys jutting out over the lower ones on carved corbels (brackets). Their timber frames were filled with adobe and then plastered with a mixture of mud and straw. Sometimes the houses were left unsealed, but in towns they were usually given a finish of plaster or whitewash, with decorative flourishes in plaster or wood. The wealthier the owner, the fancier the decoration.
"Inside, the larger houses had 10-12 rooms, divided into selamik (men's quarters) and haremlik (women's quarters). Rooms were often decorated with built-in niches and cupboards, and had fine plaster fireplaces with yasmaks (conical hoods). Sometimes the ceilings were very elaborate; that of the Pasa Odasi of Tokat's Latifoglu Konagi, for example, is thought to emulate a chandelier in wood.
"Details to look out for inside the Safranbolu houses include their hayats (courtyard areas where the animals lived and tools were stored); ingenious donme dolaplar (revolving cupboards that made it possible to prepare food in one room and pass it to another without being seen); bathrooms hidden inside cupboards; and central heating systems that relied on huge fireplaces. Sedirs (bench seating that ran round the walls) [where I'm sitting as I type] doubled as beds, with the bedding being stored in the bathrooms, which converted neatly into cupboards during the day."

On the bus to Safranbolu, I sit beside a 24-year-old Turkish woman, a nurse heading home to Kurbuk to visit her family for a week. She speaks halting English and wants to share some of her country's history and culture with me. As is often the case, politics comes up. "Do you like George Bush?" she asks – a common question. "No," I answer. "The Turkish people do not do wars," she tells me, and I reflect on what she is saying. Indeed, the US has troops stationed all over the world, continues to support covert military action and has two on-going active wars, while the Turks have none. "We cry for the Iraqi people and their suffering," she tells me. I assure her that I, too, cry for the Iraqi people, that I don't want war, that the US government does not represent my beliefs nor that of many US citizens, but that we are unable to stop the government. She understands: governments do not always express the will of the people. Though she may be a bit deluded about the extent of her own government's policies – perhaps she has been told a different story than I have been told about the Armenians, the Greeks, the Kurds – I do believe that she and other average Turks share my love for peace in the world. "Read the Koran," she tell me. "You will see that Islam is about loving others. Each day I thank God 5 times a day." Her words confirm my experiences here: over and again I am greeted by warmth, generosity, kindness and friendship.

Turkey has far exceeded my expectations in every way imaginable: the breath-taking landscapes, the fascinating history that is also my history, and the warmth and friendliness of the people who live here.

Wednesday, May 4, 2010 - Today I took a shared taxi with Etty and Sammy (from Minnesota) to the

nearby village of Yoruk Kuyu (Nomad Village). According to the Lonely Planet blip: "[It's] a beautiful settlement of crumbling old houses once inhabited by the dervish Bektasi sect. The government forced the nomads to settle here so it could tax them, and the villagers grew rich from their baking prowess." It truly was a beautiful old settlement. We walked through the village – we were the only tourists there and only some 30 people live there now - and toured an old Ottoman house. The woman who gave us the tour spoke only Turkish. She was so animated in her presentation that life in the households during Ottoman times came alive for us. We could almost see the women hiding behind the wooden wall by the door, placed so that the men could not see them when they came to the door for some reason. She lifted my foot to the stone wash basin to demonstrate the foot-washing technique and took us into the circular cushioned room where the women would do namas and were shown how one wall had a small niche cut in it to indicate the direction of mecca.

Turkey

Turkey has so far exceeded my expectatıon. At every turn I am blown away: ıncredıble hıstory, warm and frıendly people, amazıng landscapes. I have just arrıved ın Safranbolu and I feel lıke Ive stepped ınto the 17th century - except of course for the ınternet cafes cars and satellıte dıshes on all the houses. Thıs was once a prosperous town from the tıme of the Ottoman empıre and the archıtecture ıs lovely.

I see that I'm goıng to have too dıffıcult a tıme wrıtıng on thıs Turkısh keyboard and thıs ınternet ıs paınfully slow so I wıll end thıs post and wrıte on my own computer then upload.

My Love Affair with Istanbul

I fell in love with Istanbul. It's one of those hot love affairs - eight days and I must seek respite. Even though I did manage to avoid most of the tourist sights. Well, actually all of them that required a fee, me being me, the original cheap-skate. No, really. I just hate paying $20 to stand in line with 100s of people gawking at bright shiny things. It's just not my style. And seriously folks, I'm trying to see if it's possible to walk around the world for under $50/day. So far so good. I'm doin' it, except when I add in my airfare, then it bumps it just over the $50/day mark. Not bad, eh? I'd like to get it lower but it's hard. In spite of my tight budget I did find some things to forever love about Istanbul.
The colors . . .

The Grand Bazaar

The ferry ride on the Bosphorus . . . .

The beautiful mosques . . . .

Hiking in the Belgrade Forest . . . .

Prince's Island and the Turk students having a picnic . . . .

Eyup . . . .

The other travelers I met . . . .

Ugur and the Harmony Hostel . . .

Cappadocia. For the past few days I've been in Cappadocia. Once again, I look at the tour posters and find out where all the tour groups are going then I head in the other direction. Consequently, I have had some magnificent hikes, seen some amazing landscapes uncluttered by tourists (except for the few solitary birds like myself) and visited some still quiet and remote ancient ruins. I hope those following my blog can sort out my photos. I'll have to give a slideshow when I get home. Just uploading my photos is time-consuming and it's difficult to find time to blog so I must just do it quickly on the run. I'm hauling my heavy laptop around with me. I had thought to send it home with friends I was meeting in Istanbul but I've decided it's worth its weight because it allows me to upload my photos off my camera and keep a decent journal.
I'll be here in Goreme for one more day. Next stop: Safranbolu, an old Ottoman Empire city. More photos soon, I promise! :o)

A week in Istanbul

I'm beginning to get the hang of it around here. I found a new hostel to stay at that costs only $15/night (it's $20/night where I'm staying now). But most importantly, the new Hostel, the Harmony, has a kitchen for guest use. That makes a huge difference. I've managed to find a few small markets where I can buy fresh fruits and vegetables and yesterday I learned the location of a large market where I'll be able to find other things. I'm beginning to learn the secrets of traveling cheap. Transportation costs must be kept down, which means staying in one place for at least a week if not longer.

I've been in Istanbul a week and though my expenses are low, they can go lower. I completely avoid the tourist traps, where thousands of people queue up elbow to elbow and inch their way through. I did buy a couple of scarves (and Claudia brought me 3 books from Margot) so now my pack feels extraordinarily heavy. Hence, when the totally handsome, suave Turkish salesman comes up to me I'm now really strong when I say, "I don't buy anything I have to carry." When he says, "We can ship!" I simply tell him the truth: I don' t have a house to ship it to and I don't want to buy stuff just to put into my storage shed. It's as easy as that.

I love Istanbul. We'll see how long this love affair lasts. I'll be here two more nights then I'll move down to Capadoccia for 5 days. The young people I met when I first arrived (they're on a 37-day adventure tour, camping, etc, cheap, sounds way cool) will be camping near Capadoccia so I plan to meet up with them again and maybe spend a few nights camping out. Then I'll come back to Istanbul and will most likely stay here until at least the middle of May. I've decided that I'll probably only make 2-3 stops on my way to Switzerland: Bulgaria, where I plan to stay at the Rila Monastery, high in the Rila Mountains; Sarejevo, Croatia; and Montenegro. I'll take sleeper trains or buses between each of these places.

Today I'm heading out to the Belgrade Forest, a forested area 20 km north of Istanbul. I asked the guy at the desk here about it and he had never heard of it, he'd never been there, and thought it was a long way away. :o) Interesting. I only read about it in one travel guide but it sounds amazing. Locals go there for a day away from the city, but mostly on the weekend. Here's what my book says:
"The Belgrade Forest is the only sizeable piece of woodland in the imediate vicinity of Istanbul. The forest is made up of pines, oaks, beeches, chestnuts and poplars, beneath which a profusion of wild flowers grow in spring.. . . the park's [main] attractions are the relics of the dams, reservoirs and aqueducts use for over 1,000 years to transport spring water in to Istanbul.The oldest structure, Buyuk Bent (Great Reservoir), dates back to the early Byzantine era."

I expect to spend a day in relative peace and quiet, just as I found on Prince's Island, all free of course except for the cost of transportation - which is cheap, fast and easy. This is an exciting, beautiful city but I will totally enjoy a little forest walking. I haven't had much of that in the past year. So that's how it all goes. Love & Light to all.

Wow!

Good morning or afternoon or whatever it is wherever you are.

Two of my friends cancelled their trips. the other two are coming, but they're doing guided pre-packaged tours so i won't see much of them.

I'm going to plan my itinerary somewhat around theirs but they move around a lot and that gets expensive. I'm trying hard not to spend too much money. I'm keeping track of all my expenses now that I'm on the road. I'm spending more than I want to. Each day I think, okay, today will be a cheap day then something turns up. I've settled into Istanbul at a hostel which charges $17/day and will be here for 4 more days so hopefully I can keep things down. [Note: I later found the Harmony Hostel, less expensive, great atmosphere, two meals a day included. My orignal plan was to move about a lot but now I've decided to limit my moves to no less than every three days. There are sooo many places to spend money here and it's all soooo inviting. The food here is outrageously delicious and there are restaurants and food carts about every 10 feet. Ah, you can't imagine - breads and pastries and ice cream and salads and it's all laid out so beautifully, so artistically. Every restaurant has a window full of amazing foods, cooks working, etc. The hawkers are the best in the world. They're not aggressive but very very nice, very handsome and it's hard to ignore their niceness. :o) Really nice people. honestly nice. If you're not interested in what they're selling they ease up and instead will invite you to share a cup of Turkish tea and a chat (as one carpet seller did yesterday) or give you a sample or give you directions or even walk you to your doorstep. I was even approached by a male prostitute. Imagine that?!?!

I had an amazingly wonderful day yesterday just wandering around in a daze. I've decided if you spent your entire life shopping in Istanbul you'd never be able to visit all the shops here. Everything glitters and shines and invites you in every way possible. A bright, lively beautiful city. I tried the hooka yesterday. Yum, yum. The smoke is so delicious. It's not tobacco, it's some mixture of dried fruits and grass, just plain green grass from the ground. People smoke them all over the place and now I know their appeal. It's like eating but not. Today perhaps I'll take a ferry ride up the Bosphorus if the weather is nice. Yesterday was a bit cool and overcast but the sky cleared in the afternoon. If I don't do a ride then I'll just walk around in a delightful daze again. I'm fine with that.