Turkiyeeeeee

OK, Turkey – where to begin? I guess in the place we did. Bodrum.
Annette, my bro’s girlf, met us at the port and we all went back to the hotel. Bodrum like the Greek Islands was dead. We had a fun night in the Aussie Pub (no joke – why are the pubs that stay open ALL year – Australian pubs???!) (Actually it’s probably because the Aussies won’t accept the cold weather…) hmmmmmm.

Ok… so that was like, ummm, y’know… fun and stuff. There was a sweet shop there. Not in the pub.

Moving on we went to Pammukale. Pammukale for those who, like me, weren’t 100% up on the Turkish geography, Pammukale is the place on all the Turkey tourist posters where the natural springs have created gradient calcium shelves. The shelves contain little pools of healing mineral waters. The mineral waters however have been diverted to hotel pools and so on, so really the shelves are dry – and rapidly degrading. They’re trying to fix them with what like cement and white wash – but in a lot of places it’s really a sad imitation. You can see how amazing they were – it’s still cool to go, but they’re definitely missing something.

Later upon closer appraisal of a ‘recent’ tourist poster showing the shiny, beautiful full-of-water calcium shelves, we discovered the picture was actually taken in 1982. Probably the last time the shelves look remotely like that. Tourism and bad environmental management were the reasons.

So enough blasting the world heritage attempts of the Turkish Department of Time Wasting, oops I mean Tourism and Environment.

After Pammukale we went to Konya. We ignored all the people in Bodrum and Pammukale who said "Konya??? Why would you go to Konya? It’s a religious town, there’s nothing there". What a thing to say anyway – of course they didn’t realise the time we’d spent in the Middle East before. Anyway Konya was great! There was a really happening student atmosphere – you couldn’t notice the alleged extra hijabs. Just a cool Mevlana vibe.

Konya is the home of the whirling dervishes whose mystical Islam spread throughout the West Middle East with the rise of the Mevlanas. Mevlana – the founder of the sect- who on his death declared his birth to Allah. He believed in becoming closer to God through poetry and chanting. It’s a great form of Islam, extremely welcoming to all. In the Shrine-Museum that holds the tomb of Mevlana there is also guess what:

… the beard of the Prophet Mohammed…

Ta daaaa. How many of you can say you’ve see that huh! (Eirin and Annette don’t count OK)

More to come!!

Greece: Old things, Delicious Yogurt and Meany Waiters

Hey Peeps…

WOW!!!! A post! Cool huh… OK, So it began as you would expect, Greece.

Yes, Greece, After Eirin’s Birthday in Barce (‘twas fun, we were tired). We headed over to Athens, after spending a night each in Gatwick airport. Fun. So Lonely Planet, our bible (along with the guidance of online forums) describes Athens as basically a hole with not much to do. But we loved it… maybe it was the autumn leaves falling and all but probably it’s just all the work they did for the 2004 Olympics.

So we liked it, despite the expensive entry fees, and enjoyed walking around the, great, shopping and looking at all the things we couldn’t afford. But most f all we loved the food! Delicious!

Yes, from the simple yuros sandwich, to the divine yogurt and sour cherries to the magic fish soup and Musakka. One day as Eirin and I were wondering near the ancient agora we decided that perhaps we were a little peckish or at least we wanted to drink some tea and think about what delicious baklava sweets we would eat. So we sat down at a café and were perusing the menu when the waiter came:

Waiter: "Can I help you"
Us: "Yes, we would like one tea and one hot chocolate please"
W: "Just drinks?"
U: "Yes for now"
W: "No, you go, no food you can’t stay!!"
U: "What??
W: "No, leave"
U: "Don’t you want business"
W: "No"

… Umm, ok, I might add at this point that it was 3.30 in the afternoon and the café was at least half empty. Ummm ok, and so as we wondered along past people enjoying their only drinks order at near-by cafes we wondered what was wrong. Had we really been travelling that long? Did we look homeless or something? Was it the stench of hostel? We tried another café:

Us: "Can we sit here?"
Waiter: "Yes"
U: "Can we just order drinks?
W: (incredulously) "Of course Lady!!!"

Uh huh!! That’s what we thought!

Hmmmm.

Well after a few days in Athens enjoying those leaves and ancient things (as well as our tea and hot chocolate finally) we went to da daaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…
THE GREEKS ISLANDS.

What do you imagine my friends, sweet pebble beaches, sun, people dancing the night away in clubs and tanning the day away…

Yeah well make sure you’re there in season. We went to Kos an Island close to Turkish coast for a 2 days chillin’. Despite the pleasant weather the place was EMPTY, all restaurants closed, and NO people. Uh huh. I read a book each day, and The Economist.

We caught the Boat to Turkey and got sea sick.

But Hey, we were in Turkey!

Hurro

Okkkk, so I'm in England right now... and ta daaaaaaaaa I have a nice new blog or two for you on our magnificant travels in Greece and Turkey over the last month, but alas, the computer won't read my memory stick so you might have to wait, hopefully only a few hours.

kisses!

I know you hate these entry but just letting you know so you don't say how slack I am. I know I am. Really. you don't need to say anything.

bisous!