Turkiye

Placing the planning and execution in the hands of someone else, Trafalgar Tour provides a 10 day tour of Turkiye.

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Today starts the second major sidetrack of the originally planned journey to stay within the Schingen Area visit restrictions. The destination is Turkiye for two weeks. The details of travel for this leg lie in the hands of an organized tour by Trafalgar. The selection of the tour fit the timing and length needed. Learning the history of the region and seeing the ancient sights motivates my interest. I have a feeling enlightenment will be imparted regarding the culture and standard of living.

Theone graciously dropped me at the Baden-Baden train station at 5AM. Realization set in that this was my first use of the trains in Germany when the planned train could not be found in the list of departing trains. Another one leaving in just five minutes terminated at the destination needed so we said our goodbyes and I climbed aboard for Offenburg. Once there I discovered that some trains are listed on different monitors based on the type of service. Also revealed was the train I'd originally targeted was delayed over an hour! The next two trains to arrive at the Strasbourg airport were on time and I dodged a possible serious hiccup.

The world is a small place. They knew that when Disney made the 'It's a small world after all' ride. The Turkish Airline flight to Istanbul flew over France, Switzerland, Italy, Adriatic Sea, down the coast of Croatia, Greece, and honestly I lost track at that point. The scars of man's existence on the earth stood out starkly: bridges, road tunnels, mines, cultivated fields, and reservoirs to name a few. The plane dodged several massive thunderheads and passed several other airplanes in the sky. The mountains in the vicinity of Bulgaria appeared seriously impressive with jagged peaks and snowfields. This place is all we've got. One would think we would peacefully cooperate to keep it habitable for all our benefit and joy.

The late departing Turkiye Airlines plane from Strasbourg landed at the airport in Istanbul and then drove for the next twenty minutes over miles of tarmac to the massive terminal. I've never seen an airport spread out over such a large area. Upon landing many of the passengers burst into rousing applause for an extended time that spoke of either joy to be back on the ground or shear joy of being back on home soil. The Istanbul terminal is so expansive even the large vacuous Chinese airports would be humbled. Passport control went smoothly; they did not ask for proof of the electronic visa required for entry. Baggage control directed me to have my bags inspected after I told them I'd arrived from France; I scratched my head but did what I was told. Now the real journey to Istanbul began.

The Istanbul airport is located about 30 miles north of the city. It appeared two transportation options existed: taxi or metro. I stopped at the information booth to inquire about how to use the metro. A young lady sat reading something on her phone. I said hello - no response. I said hello louder thinking she hadn't heard me. A grim look crossed her face as her gaze begrudgingly tore itself away from the phone. I asked if I could use a credit card on the metro. She said 'No, you need a metro card', and turned back to her phone. Hmm, maybe information booths are a form of incarceration in Turkiye; she appeared so unhappy to be in the booth and to have to help anyone. Feeling determined and curious, I still wanted to see if riding the metro rather than a taxi was possible for a foreigner with no knowledge. I started following the red 'M' metro signs.

The metro signs took me outside into the sweltering heat compounded by the luggage pressing on my back. Like bread crumbs spread out every 100 meters atop a massive concrete slab radiating heat upwards as if in competition with the sun blazing heat downward I walked and walked and walked hoping to eventually arrive at the metro entrance. I wondered at one point if the metro signs were just a trick to have people walk to the city. Finally reaching a plaza it wasn't completely clear how to go down. A sole man was boarding an elevator so I stepped in with him and asked about using the metro. He spoke excellent English wanting to know where I was headed. I asked about purchasing a metro card and he said he knew nothing of that even though he clearly had one. On a lower level he headed for the turnstiles shouting back across the expanse that the next train leaves in 10 minutes and good luck with purchasing a card. A short 50 meter walk brought me to a couple of different looking ticket vending machines - what's the difference? - which should I be using? - do they sell tickets for different things? - there all in Turkish! I settled on a yellow one that people seemed to be using and besides the blue vending machine screens remained blank despite urgings to awaken it. A couple of false start and I pulled an 'Evelyn' and got it to display English instructions. Things went fast at that point. I loaded the card dispensed with 20 lira of value using a credit card. I made it through the turnstile. The electronic sign at the platform indicated the desired destination with a train a couple of 'dk' (minutes) away so I waited with everyone else. Once on the very clean and thankfully air conditioned train I realized 20 lira is only about 80 cents. I needed to catch two more metro trains to reach my destination. No worries, I'll just 'top it up' as I'd seen someone do that.

Amazingly, the metro M11 line runs underground the entire distance from the airport to the Kagithane stop on the outskirts of Istanbul. So thus far I've seen tarmac, concrete, and a tunnel. Back outside into the heat, I took in my first sights of Istanbul. I walked a couple hundred meters to the M7 metro terminal and tried to enter using the card. Not surprisingly there were insufficient funds. No worries, I turned to a couple of nearby yellow vending machines for topping up and .... cash only!!! Cash Only!?! I don't have any lira! Google maps please help! An ATM lies only a block away. I walk with sweat drenching my shirt. I'm able to extract a couple hundred lira at a reasonable exchange rate from the ATM. I walk back and top up the card in the 'cash only' vending machine and make it through the turnstile. The platform is a mass of people. There is a 'technical' problem and the trains aren't running properly - a London Deja Vu with the tube. When a train arrives it's a crush of bodies. I don't even try to get on. Another train arrives going the wrong direction; it should have been on the second set of tracks on the opposite platform. I can see the people over there giving up and ... oh my ... coming over to the platform I'm on! Sweat rains off me like water off trees in a rain forest. Incomprehensibly the locals occasionally dab their brow but the all look cool and comfortable - the woman especially with their beautiful clothing, polished nails and sunglasses. A petit young woman with a bright red dress and fingernails to match steps onto the train that has arrived. A small pocket of space exists. In determination, she steps into the pocket and tries to maintain six inches of space around her entire body like a forcefield. I step in behind her while getting shoved from behind in the still open train doorway. About to fall into her and the people around her I have to reach up and grab an overhead handle opening up my armpit and hope the moisture pouring from my forehead doesn't land on anyone. Finally people on the platform give up trying to shove their way on as the door closes. The technical problems of the train don't extend to the air condition blowing across my face. As the train reaches the next stop an announcement in Turkish has everyone looking at each other. The doors open and almost everyone except me and a family with the mom and dad looking at each other in bewilderment stay on. I inched toward the door, but then people start to slowly come back on board so I stay. The train fills up but only partially and when it leaves the destination looks like where we just came from. Two train stops later still underground I exit this train to look for the last metro train I need. Directions are thin and the tunnels and escalators seem to wander everywhere. I have to exit through a turnstile and continue looking for the train I need. Then back through a turnstile the card has plenty of money on it this time. The M2 takes me to the Galata neighborhood where my hotel lies.

Holy cow! I reach the top of the escalator for the Metro back into the light after traveling most of the way from the airport in tunnels. There in front of me stand a number of officers carrying machine guns, police barriers, and a police van. But there are crowds of people walking the street peacefully, an old tram passes down the middle of the street, there are banners strung across the street, and the street has many open shops and cafes. What a delight!

The hotel is only a couple blocks away and my travels should be ending there, but they don't. I believe I'm checking in and then the clerk tells me to go with this young man. I follow him at a brisk pace up the narrow cobblestone street with its many tourists and taxis (taksi). I want to walk slower as I'm panting and the heat has me sweating profusely again. We stop at another hotel where I give my name and think I'm checking in. But no! Off we go again! I'm a bit perturbed when we enter the third hotel lobby. I complain about the process and they explain that the three hotels are owned by the same person. Upon entry into the room at this third hotel which is about 3 blocks from the first one the room is very nice. It has air conditioning which I wasn't counting on since all the hotels previous to this in Europe didn't have it. I step out and find dinner for under $10 - amazingly good price! Then a Turkish coffee and cheese cake before pillow time.

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I worked on the blog checking out at 11AM. I suppose I should be out exploring, but some days are needed to catch up. The Metro ride and short walk to the hotel where the Turkiye tour starts goes so smoothly you'd think I lived in Istanbul. They let me head up to the room early. The blog still needs my attention (maybe I'm too long winded!) when my roommate arrives.

Craig Kennedy has a thick Australian accent. He's a talker! I'm sure I'll be telling you more about him in time.

I want to get my clothes washed. Google sends me on a 15 minute walk through this part of Istanbul. The city is a bit smoggy. It feels like a place with one foot in the 1st world and the second in the 3rd world. I really enjoyed the diversity during the walk. I just happened to pass a home and now museum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk the founding father of the Republic of Turkiye and president 1923-1938. In I went where they gave me a short flyer in English. The small museum of two floors in a house holds personal items of Ataturk. Certainly not a must see place, it did get me ponder the history of Turkiye.

The evening involved a couple of hours meeting folks on the Trafalgar tour and having stand up tapas.

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The start of the first full Trafalgar tour began with a Radisson hotel breakfast. I can't recall a breakfast with such an extensive buffet selection; many kinds of olives, medium boiled eggs in a yogurt sauce, croissants, fruit, the list goes on.

Today's tour took us to the Ayasofya-i Kebîr Câmi-i Şerîfi mosque and the Blue mosque. We visited a traditional Turkish home; multiple generations stayed in the same house, but had rooms that were set up as single room homes for each generation. We listened to 'classical' Turkish music (2 string instruments and a singer; one of the instruments required playing certain notes by pressing the top of the finger nail against the string as opposed to pressing down on the string) in the same house. A wander through the Grand Bizaar with its myriad of passageways and hundreds+ of shops took place.

Istanbul crowds never relent. I did manage to find 30 minutes today outside a mosque enjoying listening to the wind through some trees, the sea gulls calling to each other, the gentle sound of swirling dried leaves on marble, and some small chirping unseen birds. All this while throngs of people pressed past.

Clothes I'd dropped off to be washed were collected and I had dinner at cafeteria style place. Eggplant gets used in many of the dishes and are rich with oils and slightly spicy.

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Formal tours can demand longer days that I might give myself. A wake-up call rang at 6AM this morning, breakfast at 6:30AM, big luggage outside our doors at 7AM, and on the bus rolling away from the Radisson Hotel at 8AM. A dry strong wind blew from the east with blue skies which will become important later.

Our first viewing stop fit with the Verdun experience. Thousands of troops on both sides died in the Gallipoli (Beautiful city) campaign just north of the Dardanelles Strait. This strait links the Aegean Sea eastward to the Sea of Marmara. From here the Bosphorus Strait separates the European and Asian continents at Istanbul and connects the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea. Turkiye sided with the Germans in WWI. The Allies wanted to insure warm water port access to Russia and to protect the Suez Canal. A naval attack to control the two straits failed in early 2015 so in April 2015 a land assault was attempted. It quickly collapsed into trench warfare for most of the remainder of 2015. The Turks in defending their homeland fought determinedly and ultimately prevailed denying the Allies their objective. April 25th marks an important date for Turkiye as a day they successful defending their homeland.

Craig, one of the tour members and my roommate, has two relatives who dies in the battles. He was able to find their names inscribed on one of the memorials in the area.

Learning about this WWI battle weighed heavily on me after the visit to Verdun - so much carnage has taken place over resources and egos.

The tour bus took the 25 minute ferry from Kilitbahir across the Dardanelles Strait to Canakkale. There at the harbor stands the Trojan Horse used in a Hollywood movie at the defeat of Troy and donated to the city of Canakkale. Until the explanation of how the horse came to be here I couldn't understand why the horse was here and yet Troy is further south.

The dry winds mentioned early are fanning a fire somewhere just east of Canakkale. A walk along the Dardanelles Strait next to our hotel reminded me of the fires of the western U.S. and Canada. Dark smoke stretches from the east overhead turning the sunset a beautiful ember red. Ash rains down on me and my eyes sting from the smoke.

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The fire of yesterday was contained by a large contingency of fire fighters and helicopters based on a local article. A little smoke remained in the air but cleared rapidly as we drove south.

I'm finding the tour days long with 6AM starts and activities often continuing until 9-10PM. This and the desire for sleeping delays my ability to post blogs each day.

The tour stopped at three sights today: the ancient ruins of Troy, lunch at a private home, and the ancient healing temples of Asclepieion of Pergamon.

The ancient city of Troy in Turkey is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The area on a rise overlooking a fertile area was first settled about 3500 BC. It has had multiple communities living on the site. Archaeologically it is divided into 9 layers that include Greek and Roman settlements. The site was excavated by Heinrich Schliemann who was looking for treasure in 1871. There appears to be some evidence supporting the mythological story of the Trojan Horse. Exploring the site, one can see evidence of Roman water piping and the many different layers of construction. Nothing remains standing and most of the ruins appear Roman in origin.

Continuing on the journey, our bus was stopped twice for police inspection. It seems there are laws about speeding and how long a driver can operate without a rest. The driver had a recording device on the bus that he used to print out his speeds and other information. He handed this to the police officers before we continued.

The tour stopped in the tiny village of Demircidere for a home meal lunch. Older men sat under a beautiful massive three in the town center playing a game called 'ok' the rules of which sound like Rummicube. We sat on a covered porch overlooking grape vines in a backyard. Two ladies maybe in their 50's served us a delicious assortment of food for lunch. The things included grapes (slightly sweet and tender), dolmas (skinny and warmed with a unique olive rich flavor), yogurt for dipping the dolmas, spinach baked into a flaky bread, vegetarian eggplant soaking with olive oil accompanied by onions and tomatoes (scrumptious!), a cake soaked in sugar water, and all served with a home made red wine (chaulking). A tour member had a tiny bit of Turkish phrases and then we turned to Google translate for a conversation with the ladies. They were delighted with tour member who was about their age and a woman. They three of them exchanged kisses on cheeks and smiles as we left.

Asclepieion are healing temples dedicated to the doctor Asclepius. The temples originate from the Greek culture and existed in many locations. We visited the one in Pergamon, Turkey. The healing philosophy focuses on a healthy lifestyle. The general process when visiting a temple is to drink from the healing waters then practice incubatio or "temple sleep". One would be visited by Asclepius or one of his children who would tell them what to do for healing. If they were not visited in their sleep, then upon hearing of about your dreams a priest would prescribe a treatment. The temple at Pergamon has a 100 meter tunnel with twelve spaced out ceiling holes allowing a priest to share positive messages as the person walks through the tunnel. At the tunnel end lies the main temple. Hippocrates reportedly was trained in such a place. The pharmaceutical symbol with the two snakes can be traced to carvings in these facilities.

On a four lane highway in the bus, a traffic jam was encountered due to accident. Traffic officers were redirecting vehicles. The bus driver stopped to provide water to the officers.

The hotel in Izmir was near the waterfront. Izmir is a modern secular predominantly non-muslim city of several million people. A walk along the strand afforded views of a beautiful sunset. People and families casually walked along it. There was a man that floated balloons 20 feet from the dock in a line. On the dock was a pellet gun so that customers could pop the balloons like at an arcade.

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The star visit today was the city ruins of Ephesus. This ancient 10th century BC Greece city is located near Selcuk. Once the waves of the Aegean sea lapped at it's doors, but now the sea lies a few kilometers away. The Romans took it over in 129 BC. The city has a number of temples, a large auditorium, and a library - Library of Celsus. A number of milestones have been collected in a tiny area of the site; milestones marked off the distance along roads. The auditorium is used today for performances and in fact was set up for one during our visit. The library front has been reconstructed partially from fallen original pieces and looks very grand.

The second stop felt more like a tourist created site - last home of Mother Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus Christ. Holy water pours from some spigots below the tiny stone home houses shrines to the Mother Mary. Slightly down the hillside from the home are four spigots that reportedly deliver holy water. According to the guide, the site is recognized by the Vatican.

Our next stop provided a free lunch with the optional purchase of a Turkish rug. Turkmen Carpet demonstrated how silk thread is unwound from the silk worm cocoons. The cocoons are placed in hot water to soften them and causes the end of the silk thread to come loose from the cocoon. A hand broom is then used to catch the loose silk thread ends floating in the water. The end is attached to a round cage and the cage is rotated unwinding the silk from the cocoons. I enjoyed seeing the process live for the first time. The silk gets used to make rugs. Rugs are also made from wool. The Turkish rug claim to fame is that the treads are added with a double knot rather than a single knot. Manufactured rugs do not have a knot at all. The color of the rugs can vary depending on how the light strikes them in the same way that a lawn mowed in one direction does. Workers exuberantly rolled out rug after rug in front of us letting them stack at odd angles as we sat snacking and drinking 'ok' (a licorice alcoholic drink like ouzo). The sales pressure soon began with rugs costing a few hundred to 10's of thousands of dollars - the price is based on the number of knots; bigger rugs and silk rugs have more knots. I managed to slip out while they worked on the lady sitting next to me whom I believe they thought was my partner.

Our guide made an extra stop because of our small size at the Artemision ruin just west of Selcuk. It was a temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis. The temple has been built and destroyed several times due to natural and human induced causes. By the 5th century AD it was abandoned and had slipped into disrepair or destruction. Discovery of the site occurred in 1869 by John Turtle Wood supported by the British Museum. Today it is barely more than a hole in the ground with some foundational stones. Peddlers seek out tourists in hopes they'll purchase books on the ruin.

After a couple hour drive through country that reminds me of Southern California because of the flowering bushes growing down the middle of the freeways, the brown grass on valley hillsides, the hazy air (suggesting smog), and the eucalyptus trees, we arrived at our hotel, thermal baths, and spa near the city of Pamukkae. The thermal baths took some exploring to figure them out. Initially the facilities just look like an indoor swimming pool. Then a warm room with small scoops to pour hot water over oneself was found. There is a steam room and a dry sauna. And through a nondescript door a proper thermal pool was found. The very very turbid water was probably in the high 90's with very hot water pouring in. The hot air temperature quashed the full enjoyment, but still soaking refreshed. Further outside one could experience the almost untamed feel of the thermal springs as the ground was muddy and there were some small algae mats.

That night near the outdoor pool bar a belly dancer put on a performance and then expertly enticed audience members to get up and shake their hips and wave their arms. Fun and friendly laughter ensued.

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Above the village of Pamukkae rests what I would call a tufa mound - carbonate mineral deposits from cool spring water. The cascading pools of turquoise water dammed by the precipitated minerals and manipulated by man at times are a sight. They allow people to remove their shoes and wade through the cool blue waters with white hard formations. Immediately above this formation lies the Greek and Roman ruins of Hierapolis. We only had an hour here, but could have easily spent a day exploring all the ruins and capturing the perfect picture of the tufa during the golden hours. The tufa mounds visited in northern Canada on wilderness canoeing trips are tiny in comparison to this one.

Further to the east a break for the driver and our bladders landed us at a tourist bus stop that served up yogurt with honey and poppy seeds they kept calling opium. I enjoyed the sweet crunchiness as it reminded me of breakfasts I sometimes eat at home.

The day still had more in store once we arrived into the large city of Konya. In the Mevlana Museum rests the tomb of the Sufi philosopher and founder Jelaleddin Rumi. Our tour guide had each of us read short proverbs from Rumi which were wise and stimulating.

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Today we drove from Konya to Cappadocia. A stopover at Sultanhani on the Silk Road let us explore a building used by travelers in the 10-12 centuries to rest themselves and their animals.The stone building with their high walls provided a safe place to rest and eat comparable to western forts of the 19th century.

By now the bus has gradually climbed to over 3000ft in elevation. The land is flat and almost desert dry with irrigated crops growing green against the brown earth. Two volcanos extinct for millions of years stand upon the horizon to the south and east. Both mountains are over 12000ft high. Earlier on the road west from where we came, the broad flat valleys with rings of mountains reminded me of the 'parks' in Colorado such as South Park.

A slight detour to the south brought us to a tiny village of mud and stone structures. At a nondescript location we stepped through a doorway into an underground village of narrow twisting climbing descending passageways opening into rooms for sleeping, cooking, making wine, and storing goods. We passed on well. The current village above ground is called Saratli. The village below ground was used 1500-2000 years ago at times to escape religious persecution. We only saw a small fraction of the underground village.

Late in the afternoon with many hours of bus travel, we arrived in the town/region known as Cappadocia. The bus pulled off at a stop with formations standing like mushrooms or cones. The soft rock was deposited millions of years as volcanic ash and has slowly compacted. It makes for entertaining formations to look. One is slightly reminded of Bryce Canyon in Utah. The three key attractions of this high desert area are the strange protruding rock formations, the homes, churches, and villages cut out of the soft rock, and the morning sunrise balloon excursions.

We visited a business making pottery with elaborate glazing. The signature pottery is a circular vase designed for decanting wine. Apparently a couple of thousand years ago, to be eligible to marry, a male had to demonstrate his proficiency with making pottery. The region is know for its pottery. Local red and white clays are used. A nearby brick manufacture uses the red clay today.

Our resting place for the next two nights is the Exdra Hotel near Urgrup. The charming hotel with its Esher like stairs going up and down in seemingly random patterns is partially cut out of the pumice formation of the region.

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We continued our discovery of the wonders of Cappadocia. We visited an area with fifteen churches cut out of the rocks. The Dark Church contained colorful frescos depicting Christ and events of his life. One area contained rooms with long tables and benches cut out of the rock.

We visited an area with rock formations resembling mushrooms.

We stopped in at a leather jacket maker for a ramp show of jackets and the opportunity to buy one from their showroom. The musics excessive volume for the ramp show compelled me to step outside.

A highlight for me of the area visit was a home visit to a couple in their 50's who live in a home cut out of a conical stone. The structure has three levels each reached from a separate entrance. The top floor was a church and as the couple is Muslim, they do not use that space. The middle level has the kitchen and a living room. The living room floor was covered with many beautiful Turkish carpets. The woman had a loom in the room and was making a rug. The rugs came from inheritance, wedding gifts, and from making them. The living room ceiling was too low for me to stand up. It had two small windows. The floor was sloped. There were the usual family photos, nick nacks, and a TV turned on with no sound. The lowest level had the bedrooms. The couple moved into the Flintstone house during a difficult financial period. The home is now part of the historical preservation such that they own the land, but are not allowed to make any alterations to the rooms. One of their daughters arrived with the couples only granddaughter which grandpa deeply adored.

Dinner was at a restaurant in the town of Avanos north of Cappadocia and near the Kizilirmak River. The river flows south then west before turning north to empty into the Black Sea. The restaurant served a beef stew made in clay pots of the region.

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This marks the last day of the tour. We boarded the bus arriving at the Kapadokya airport in about an hour. The plane returned us to Istanbul airport where again the plane drove for 20 minutes before we reached the terminal.

Most of the folks took a boat tour on the Bosphorus Strait passing through Istanbul and separating the European and Asian continents. I skipped this part and instead washed cloths, worked on the blog, and had a late lunch at a nearby cafe.

Tonight we had our last supper together (ha ha) at a nice restaurant in Istanbul. Most people ate a dish of beef and onions cooked on a skewer. Once back at the hotel goodbyes were said and the tour ended.

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Thanks to all of you for a fun, entertaining, and informational tour of Turkey. The laughter and congeniality rocking through the bus kept it lively. And although our paths may not cross again, I will fondly remember these days exploring Turkey and learning a little about each of you. Should you find an excuse to visit Colorado, I will be happy to be your host. Stay upright in your saddle and your horse mov'n down the trail.

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Thanks to Murat I received an introduction to the country. Today begins an unguided small step into Turkiye.

A ten minute walk brought me to a bus stop near the Radisson Hotel to catch the 522 bus toward Cumlik. The bridge over the Bosphorus Strait provided a spectacular view of Istanbul toward the Blue Mosque and Grand Bizaar. I continue to be impressed with the size of Istanbul with shops and housing that rolls on up and down the hilly city. The bus had very good air conditioning and sported USB outlets to charge devices. The IETT (city transportation system) tap card worked easily. The transfer stop to the 139T bus for Sile sits next to a multilane highway and the rising sun made the wait hot and noisy. The bus arrived sooner than expected with almost everyone at the stop boarding for a standing room only situation. An older man sitting next to where I stood seemed unpleased with me, but then I've noticed the Turkish people tend toward a stern look on the outside but there is warmth underneath. A couple boarded that barely stood five feet high if that who could easily fit in the graves seen at the Cappadocia church site. A lady boarded but was unable to pay the fare. Another passenger paid for her with his transportation card. The A/C on this bus couldn't keep up with the demand as the temperature rose. The driver wanted the windows closed, but some of passengers prevailed in opening them which helped.

The city gave way to extensive forests. Even though it hasn't rained since my arrival, adequate moisture must fall other times in the year to support such beautiful growth. I saw a number of cyclists riding on the multilane highway; I could never bring myself to ride on such a road with the heavy traffic, dust, and poor air quality, but there they were huffing up the hills.

An hour and half passed before the bus arrived into Sile before noon. Walking looking for the camping area, a man on a balcony called out to and pointed. I can only presume he saw the luggage on my back and me looking about. I made an inverted 'V' with my arms hoping he interpreted it as a tent. He enthusiastically waved and pointed in the direction to go. Using Apple translate for camping 2 nights, a young man walked me to a spot and pointed. We worked out the exchange of 200 lira for the two nights and I pitched the tent in Sile - sometimes $4 a night beats $250 per night when you're sleeping through most of it anyway.

A picture is needed to convey how crowded the beach and water is at Sile. There were stretches the sun didn't reach the sand due to the proximity of the umbrellas. Any sharks in the water would have been trampled with the number of feet attached to bodies splashing about. The traffic moved slowly with people vying for parking places. An ambulance, lights flashing and siren blaring, drove down the opposite side of the road to just barely best my walking progress. A brick road leading passed the mosque toward the beach has many inviting cafes and ice cream shops. An open air market has sprung into existence on the street as I sit here at a cafe next to men playing backgammon and sipping cay (tea).

I do appreciate being on an organized tour, yet jostling with the locals on a hot bus or buying vegetables at the grocery store or sipping tea as the call to prayer sounds let's me at least pretend I am experiencing life as a Turk.

The Sile summer festival began today! The main tourist street is lit with what look like snowflake lights. The plaza next to the mosque has a band stage and rows of chairs all surrounded by venders booths. The band plays comprised of middle eastern instruments (drums, zither, ney, etc) plays local pieces. The audience knows them and some sings along. A few clap. No one dances. A steady stream of many many people wander up and down the main street often with an ice cream cones in their hands. Kids run every which way. The program didn't start until 9PM. I didn't make it to the end and instead walked back to my tent.

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I am learning about special symbols on letters and how they change the sound. The 's' in Sile has a little hook symbol (I need to look up the name.) which changes the 'ssss' to a 'shh' sound. Locals gave me a blank stare when I said 'Sssile' then would correct me to 'shhile'. One of those things one gets to learn when traveling.

The Muslim woman go swimming fully dressed. There are many Turkish women who don't wear a headscarf. In fact their are plenty of them with plenty of exposed skin.

The camping in Turkiye isn't recommended based on my experiences thus far. Where do I begin...

Fortunately there are bathrooms, BUT they are just porcelain holes in the floor with no toilet paper, BUT they do provide a small spigot and container to fill with water to cleanse oneself. I think I need someone to explain this process. For one you have to squat and my knees hate that; I wonder how older folks manage. Maybe if handicap handles were provided that would help. Second, I'm not sure I want to be using my barehand (if that is the practice) to wash myself up. I don't think splashing water is sufficient. And after splashing water how does one dry off? I've used these type before but I feel clueless.

When I pitched my tent yesterday, there were a half dozen other tents set up. When I returned around 10PM everyone had left. It was just me. The guide on the tour said no one in Turkiye camps - now I am inclined to believe him. It appears others were there just for the day.

Everyone else had left, but they left their calling cards...piles of trash. Really, piles. I'm grateful to Evelyn for going to university in Ghana, because that place prepared me for camping in Turkiye: mounds of trash, open fires, and questionable sanitation. I walked by the other two 'campsites' listed on Google Maps. The one I stayed at is the preferable one in my view.

I leave most of my material objects in the zipped tent when I leave. I was a little concerned in Portugal, but most of the time the tent sites are commingled with caravans. The people with the caravans are generally retired with money and likely don't want or need anything in the tent. Other tent campers are mutually respectful. When I Ieave though, I almost always take the crucial items like passport, phone, iPad, and wallet.

This visit to Siles sets me up for a dramatic compare and contrast to the Faroe Islands and Iceland!

I feel safe in Turkiye; I suppose that could stem from becoming accustom to such places in traveling, yet I just don't feel threatened here. Overall, Turks on the street avoid interaction or eye contact. A man on the beach did say good morning to me - a pleasant rare encounter. Walking a major road in Siles, people didn't look at me and some conveyed uncomfortableness with my presence.

I walked the beach surf edge northward away from Siles this morning. The few people out were doing the same. A swath of trash followed the high point of the surf. A man in a big tractor pulling a device for cleaning the sand on beaches arrived. He climbed out of the cab to hand pickup large trash; a lone man against an avalanche.

Toward the northern horizon at the junction of the Black Sea and the sky large vessels can be seen. Presumably they emerge from or converge upon the Bosphorus Strait where it kisses the sea.

During yesterdays bus ride to Sile, we passed a 'rest area' in the American vernacular. Here a string of restaurants like beads on a string were lined up providing a place to refresh. One stop had a vendor offering horseback rides through the parking lot.

I walked the mile or so from the campsite back into the center of Sile in the afternoon. I spied a lighthouse making the climb up to it. The exterior of the lighthouse is well maintained. The fresnel lens glistens and invites a closer visit, but the building stands closed. Some expensive homes lie around a small cove with steep sea cliffs to the east. A bored individual sits next to a zip line extending across the cove to the west. This section of Sile possess far more charm and far fewer people than the beach front area.

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The chill in the night air as I slept induced me to pull the blanket over myself. A comforting reprieve from the warm temperatures of late. A family actually spent the night camping. Early risers they had a crackling fire before I awoke. Maybe it was the call to prayer at 4:45AM that got them going.

Ok, so an empty box of cigarettes, water bottle cap, straw, package for a man's shirt, and other assorted stuff lies scattered about near my tent, but I'm growing comfortable with the place. Maybe it's the friendly smiles the two camp attendants and I share, or the quietness after all the weekend BBQ'ers left, or the spectacular orange red sunset. It helped too that I found a lovely manicured and clean park overlooking the sea in Sile.

I'd purchased water and had some left over. As I left the camping ground I swung by the family eating their breakfast and offered them the water. I guess they are not use to the morning chill as they had blankets draped over their heads and backs. The younger male looked angry and threatening, but the older gentlemen smiled and said thank you as one of the few words of English he knew and one of the woman jumped up and handed me a piece of sweet bread. My first instinct was to refuse, but I thought it might make her happier if I accepted. It was a nice encounter and exchange.

At the bottom of the hill about three blocks away I arrived at the bus stop. I saw an older man slightly down and around the corner. I approached him saying 'otobus' and he responded 'Istanbul'. I gave him a thumbs up and then pointed at the bus stop away from where we were now standing. I have to chuckle at communication without a shared language, because he then pointed toward the sun hidden behind some trees and raised his hand as if shading his head. Yup! I decided to stand with him in the shade. When the bus did come in a few minutes he ran and I stuck my arm out to signal we wanted on. It all went smoothly.

I wanted a picture of the Bosphorus Strait as we crossed the suspension bridge from Asia to Europe but all the obstructions from the bus didn't make for a good photo. The young lady at the Istanbul hotel spoke English and let me leave my luggage till I could check in. A Turkish coffee from next door and I set out into Istanbul.

Nothing of particular note to share. I rode the tram to the Roman Cistern but skipped it because of the excessively long line. I walked through Gulhane Korusu (gardens for the Sultans turned into a park in 1918), gazed upon massive ships passing through the Bosphorus Strait, found myself in the very (BIG) Grand Bizaar, and sampled a roasted corn on the cob (very salty so that at times it tasted like popcorn). I headed for the hotel walking down Istiklal street a shopaholic paradise. The old tram runs down this street terminating on the west end at the funicular.

The hotel provided access to a rooftop terrace. From there views of the city graced the eyes. I watched the sun go down on Istanbul and Turkiye for my last time this trip.

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Next door to the Istanbul hotel lies a cafe called the Federal. They serve a nice breakfast and reasonable coffee with the backdrop of easy listening music. The location offered a pleasant place to transfer and edited photos taken on the Nikon camera over the last couple of weeks.

I look forward to wearing a shirt and not soaking it with sweat within fifteen minutes. The uphill walk to the bus even at a slow pace in the warm Istanbul air brought my bodies evaporative cooling into action. The very crowded bus put it over the top. I positioned myself under an A/C vent to help cool me. The bus route took me through neighborhoods not seen. The streets were so hilly and narrow that sometimes only room existed for the bus to path; a police wedged out of the way and a car backed up a block. It felt like closure to reach the Kagithane terminal where I arrived into the city and the connection to the M11 metro train to the airport.

The metro was mercifully air conditioned, clean, and uncrowded. I gave the metro card to someone after exiting the train as value remained. The long walk from the metro station to the airport terminal resulted in perspiring all over again. The Istanbul airport is grotesquely gigantic.

Upon landing at Istanbul twice during travels, people clapped. The inclination rose in me to clap as the wheels left the tarmac. I enjoyed Turkiye, but was also happy to be leaving. Culturally and environmentally home lies elsewhere.

Postscript

No electric cars were spotted. No one rode a bike; understandable given the heat and steep ups and downs of the geography. Smoking was pervasive as were the detritus cigarette butts everywhere. Prices were some of the lowest and comparable to Portugal. Mosques and their minarets were frequent. Istanbul had competing call to prayers like reverberating echos. Few other Americans were encountered and non in Sile. Russians and Ukrainians visit Sile and I did believe to have seen some.