Delightful Turkey
Turkey has a dessert called Turkey Delight. It’s candy like with various nuts in it. When you are in Turkey, you must try this. After all, visiting Turkey is really a delightful experience. I liked their food a lot, especially kebab made with all kinds of meats are very tasty. Pita bread bubbled up like a balloon; eat with all kinds of dipping sauce or hummus, delicious. Baklava for sweet tooth is a must. I also liked Turkish tea but not so much about Turkish coffee.
Istanbul, the big city on the Bosporus located both in Europe and Asia, remains one of the most exciting places in the world. It has such a mix of culture, traditions and religion. You see modern buildings in some part of the city; you also see 2500 years history like Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, and the Blue Mosque. Topkapi Palace nowadays becomes a museum where a lot of Ottoman treasures are on display. It was a lot of walk to visit all these famous places in one day. However I do like the Bosporus cruise where I actually was under the bridge that connects Europe and Asia.
Before visiting Gallipoli peninsula’s WWI battlefields the Anzac Cemetery, the Lone Pine Memorial and Chunuk Bair Memorial sites, I did not know anything about it. Seeing the sites made a difference. Crossing the Dardanelles by ferry, I arrived at Troy the ancient city full of myth.
Nestled between hills, the Asklepion a healing place for the body and the soul, was an ancient shrine to the Greek God of medicine. Walking through the ruins, I can imagine a sense of serenity. When I arrived at Kusadasi a vacation town, I was very pleased with the luxury room with magnificent view at Charisma De Luxe Hotel. From my room I saw beautiful sea, sunset and sunrise.
Ephesus was the highlight of my trip. It was one of the most famous cities of the ancient Mediterranean and the second biggest city of the Roman Empire. Today it is one of the largest Roman archaeological sites in the eastern Mediterranean. I liked everything I saw at the ancient ruins. The vast areas of ruins hold the world’s first library, worship temple, rich people’s houses, bath house, theater and even toiles. I am amazed by such grandeur!
Hierapolis the Greco-Roman thermal resort dating back to 190BC is comprised of white terraces and turquoise pools of water. People walked in the water believing it has healing power. I didn’t dare because the rock was very slippery. From the top of Hierapolis, you will have a good view of the town Pamukkale below. Did you spot the snowcapped mountain in the background?
Almost every city has Grand Bazaar. Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar is huge. I found many shops sell the same thing, things like textile to spices to jewelry to carpet to anything you can think of. If you like shopping, you will like Grand Bazaar. However you will need some suitcase and some money. Instead of shopping, I am much more interested in people watching and street watching.
During the 7-day tour I only saw a very small western part of Turkey. There is a lot more to explore, maybe another trip?
