December 29, 2005
Safranbolu
(Day 314) To give credit where it's due, I never would've considered coming to Safranbolu had it not been for Warren's suggestion. Instead, I would've still been in Istanbul, wondering what to do, and missing out on what would be my favorite experience in Turkey.
Posted by markyiin at 10:33 AM | Comments (3)
Just another day
(Day 213) "So this is where I'll be spending Christmas." Accepting that nothing special was going to happen this day, Warren and I were on our way to Safranbolu. Servis had brought us from the hostel to the bus, and by noon, we cleared Istanbul's city limits.
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Posted by markyiin at 10:30 AM | Comments (0)
December 28, 2005
It's all about love
(Day 312) Apart from mentioning that it was Christmas Eve, I don't have much else to say on the subject. Istanbul treated it just like any other ordinary day, which isn't that surprising if you think about it. I mean, Ramadan comes and goes without much publicity in the USA, so why should one expect a Middle Eastern country to make much ado about Christmas?
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Posted by markyiin at 10:08 AM | Comments (2)
December 27, 2005
The Bosphorous
(Day 311) The only city in the world that can really claim to span two continents, Istanbul is divided into a European and Asian side by the Bosphorous Strait. I've been looking forward to taking a ferry up the important waterway, and peeking out the window this morning, decided that today would be a good opportunity to do so.
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Posted by markyiin at 07:16 AM | Comments (2)
More Mosques...
(Day 310) It might be my imagination, but there was a lot more security hanging out in Istanbul's tourist district than the last time I was here. It's three days before Christmas, and though my hostel as busy decorating a small Christmas tree, it's hard to imagine very festive celebrations in a predominantly Muslim country.
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Posted by markyiin at 04:53 AM | Comments (1)
December 25, 2005
Two weeks notice
(Day 309) "Sultanahmet?" I asked the man behind the counter.
"Servis?" I nodded. "Wait, ten, twenty minutes?"
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Posted by markyiin at 02:36 AM | Comments (6)
Two weeks notice
(Day 309) "Sultanahmet?" I asked the man behind the counter.
"Servis?" I nodded. "Wait, ten, twenty minutes?"
Continue reading "Two weeks notice"
Posted by markyiin at 02:36 AM | Comments (6)
December 24, 2005
The ruins of Efes
(Day 308) The world's hierarchy of cities is ever-changing. There was a time when London was still a small port on the river Thames, when Shanghai was still a fishing village on the coast of the Pacific. When the foundations of New York hadn't been laid yet, when the mosquito infested swamps near the Gulf of Finland hadn't been transformed into St Petersburg. Once upon a time, Roman cities were the most magnificent in the western world, and their ruins today are still a source of much awe.
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Posted by markyiin at 06:17 AM | Comments (5)
Selcuk
(Day 307) We sped down the highway, a sprawling metropolitan cityscape looming ahead. But wait a minute, wasn't Selcuk supposed to be a small, bite-sized town? Apparently, I had overslept my stop, and was now approaching the city of Izmir.
Posted by markyiin at 06:11 AM | Comments (0)
December 22, 2005
A fly would slide
(Day 306) 9:30 was the posted checkout time, but I didn't wake up til much later. Most of the blog is written at night, and sometimes when I get on a roll, I find myself staying up into early morning. The guys at reception didn't care all that much. I was their only guest for the past two nights, so they weren't about to make a big deal out of it.
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Posted by markyiin at 02:59 AM | Comments (6)
December 21, 2005
The Pigeonhole Principle
(Day 305) Pigeons deserve more respect than they get. Sure, they're not the prettiest of birds, and more than once I've had the urge kick one when walking down the street, but they've had their uses, from helping Google become what they are, to playing an important role in the lives of early Cappadocians.
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Posted by markyiin at 03:57 AM | Comments (3)
December 20, 2005
Sword Valley
(Day 304) I haven't weighed the pros and cons of visiting in winter, though I'm sure there's a reason why most people come when it's warmer. Not that I'm disappointed to be here - I'll take this over a desk job any day - and in a way, I can use this opportunity as a scouting trip, to scope out places I might want to return to in the future, when (and if) I have a family (and a bigger bankroll).
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Posted by markyiin at 02:54 AM | Comments (5)
December 18, 2005
Ilhara Valley
(Day 303) "Are you not getting up or are you just procrastinating?"
"Just procrastinating," I answered from under the covers. "Go ahead, I'll meet you guys at breakfast."
I only need as long as it takes to brush my teeth and pull on my jeans to be ready anyways. I had plenty of time for an omelet before the shuttle bus arrived. We went around picking up what must've been every single tourist in town. The 19 of us constituted a full bus, and the Ilhara Valley tour began.
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Posted by markyiin at 09:08 AM | Comments (4)
Rockin'
(Day 302) I've never been on a bus with the heating cranked so high. Anyone with a window seat unavoidably had a leg next to the heater, and was destined for a night of uncomfortable shifting. By the time we reached where we were going, my calves were cooked and ready to eat.
Posted by markyiin at 05:10 AM | Comments (2)
December 17, 2005
New Istanbul
(Day 301) I'm constantly meeting new people. Everyone out here is a holiday mood, and striking up a conversation has never been easier. Granted, not every personality is interesting, but occasionally, I do get past the 'Where are you from?' and 'Where've you been?'s into more in depth dialogue. Several days ago, I met an American woman who said something I hadn't thought of before.
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Posted by markyiin at 08:50 AM | Comments (5)
December 16, 2005
The Harem
(Day 300) At its mightiest, the Ottoman Empire stretched from the gates of Vienna to the tips of the Arabian peninsula, down to the borders of Sudan in Africa. For years, the armies had an aura of invincibility. Grand mosques were built, trade flourished, and for 400 years, the heart of this civilization was Topkapi Palace. In this city within a city, many famous sultans such as Mehmet the Conqueror and Suleyman the Magnificent made their headquarters.
Posted by markyiin at 07:01 AM | Comments (2)
December 14, 2005
A Turkish Hamam
(Day 299) A bathing culture was in place long before the Ottoman's arrived. The turks were so impressed with what they found, that rather than eliminate the incumbent, they merged it with their own practice. Religion helped Turkish baths become an integral part of life - the Quran stresses the importance of cleanliness - and over time, the hamam's social networking role also grew. The ever expanding tourism industry has made many of them foreigner friendly, though my adventure today should serve as reminder that they are still best approached with an open mind.
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Posted by markyiin at 09:05 AM | Comments (10)
December 11, 2005
The Grand Bazaar
(Day 298) Markets have followed me wherever I've gone. I haven't been able to shake them, not even in places like Siberia. Some of them only come alive after dark, others may be weekly affairs, but it's safe to say there's always something to spend money on.
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Posted by markyiin at 11:47 AM | Comments (10)
December 10, 2005
Cake or pie?
(Day 297) ...Wait. What happened to Days 294-296? Nothing happened, which is why I'm skipping over them for now. One day, when I pen my life story, I'll detail all the epiphanies I had, but for now, I'm in the mood to keep moving.
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Posted by markyiin at 12:09 PM | Comments (3)
December 09, 2005
On to Istanbul
(Day 293) By no means should my blog be considered a travel guide. Because this is my trip, I go places that strike my fancy, and see and do things that I deem worthwhile. Bulgaria, I'm sure, has many places worth visiting, but from all the great things I've heard about Istanbul, I was more than willing to pass them over.
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Posted by markyiin at 11:26 AM | Comments (2)