From Cappadocia to the Coast

Actually that should be from the Coast to Cappadocia. We traveled from Istanbul to the Fethiye

where we sailed the Turquoise Coast, then north to Ephesus and Sirince... then east stopping in

Pamukkale and Konya, and finally to Cappadocia... all at a leisurely pace, with a fun group and

our terrific guide Omar.

Highlights of Istanbul

Our guide, Omar, met us at Ataturk International Airport after an on-time uneventful flight from

JFK. I slept through the airline dinner, so was well-rested. Omar helped us check in at the Byzantine

Hotel, and we agreed to meet for dinner, when all our group had arrived. After we

checked in and showered, we ventured out to the nearby grocer for water (really beer and diet

coke). Our hotel was on a bustling street with many stores and restaurants, other hotels, and

around the corner a Turkish bath. More on that later.

That evening we met our traveling companions, two other couples, so a nice group. We reviewed

the itinerary together, and then all went to dinner at Justine’s Palace, a restaurant built

on top of an archaeological site. We determined that Turkish beer is quite tasty, and decided

our little group was going to be a lot of fun.

Our first full day of sightseeing was on foot in Istanbul, and very ambitious. We visited the Blue

Mosque which is absolutely breathtaking, the Hippodrome which was the center for sporting

events during Byzantine times, and Topkapi Palace where Omar gave us great directions and

steered us around the crowds. When we emerged, Walter whispered to Omar, “I have the daggar

in my backpack”. That is probably the point where Omar realized just how difficult his

charges were going to be.

We continued on to the Hagia Sophia which is jaw dropping and hard to describe how small one

feels in such an enormous room. I guess that is the idea. It is very interesting to see the mix of

religious symbols in one structure as this started out as a Byzantine church, then a Mosque and

now really a museum.

After a delicious lunch at a buffet restaurant we continued on to the Grand Bazaar and the underground

Cistern. We had several buffet lunches, and we learned that pointing at a dish to ask

what it was, was not a good approach. Instead of an explanation you would get a generous

helping. Like I said it was all delicious, but I think we left the impression that we were really big

eaters.

My favorite site in Istanbul is the small Rustem Pasa Mosque, which is near the Spice Market

and known for the beautiful Iznik tiles with 36 different tulip designs. Next, was an afternoon

cruise on the Bosphorus. The weather was not cooperating at that point, but from inside the

boat we stayed dry and could still see the major sites, like the Dhamache Palace, Ortakoy

Mosque, and the old yali or Ottoman cottages along the shore, all while sipping strong Turkish

coffee. After disembarking up the river, we walked through the Sariyer District and Ortakoy, met

our driver and headed back to Taksim, Istanbul’s answer to Time Square. We spent some time

in the Pera Museum and sauntered through the lobby of the Pera Palace Hotel, where Agatha

Christy wrote “Murder on the Orient Express”.

A Turkish Bath

We couldn’t leave Turkey without experiencing a Turkish bath, so while we were still in Istanbul,

Omar took us to the local bath house around the corner from our hotel. We were ushered into a

small changing room and give cotton towels and flip flops. After changing we were directed to

the steam room where we reclined on a marble bed with several other locals to start to sweat.

Eventually a woman gestured that I should follow her to another private room, where she covered

me with suds, and washed me from head to toe like a large baby. The process included

lots of bubbles and a wonderful massage. After a thorough rinsing, and toweling off, I was

wrapped in more towels, and then sent back to join the others for a glass of tea.

I was so relaxed afterward, it took all my concentration to walk back to the hotel and collapse

into bed.