Sunday 24 August 2008
Cappadocia to Dogubeyazit - 20 Aug to 24 Aug
20th August 2008
Summary: Mustafapasa, Soganli valley, Kaymakli Underground city
Joined a small tour to visit Mustafapasa - a small Greek village, a short walk along Soganli valley stopping at more cave nunneries, monasteries and churches, and the underground city at Kaymakli. Kaymakli was quite amazing - living space for 20,000 people, stables, wineries, a church, all connected by narrow, low tunnels, including a 9km passage to the next underground city, with frequent keystones to block off invaders. Reminded G of his Dungeons and Dragons days. After the tour we bought our onward bus tickets and finally stopped for tea at a cafe where G had promised the enthusiastic waiter the day we first arrived in Urgup that we would visit "tomorrow". While sitting there we spotted an American girl and her mum who were on our tour, and they joined us. Mustafa picked us up part way up the hill on the way back to the hotel. The poor guy had been sent by Eren to buy her a hair styling iron with 7 different attachments. She was very excited to receive it. One of the American guests made cocktails for everyone on the terrace.
Food: soup, rice, veggies, omelette, yoghurt on the tour, beef ravioli and salad at Ziggy's.
21st August 2008
Summary: bus to Kayseri, bus to Sivas
The otogar (bus station) at Kayseri was a bit of a shock - huge, sparkling and new with Mariah Carey blaring over the loudspeakers. That aside we are really getting into the wild east of Turkey now. The tourists have disappeared, as well almost all English-speaking locals, except for the carpet sellers of course. Started off exploring inside the walls of the citadel, now filled with stalls selling clothing. Walked through the covered bazaar. It was very different to the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul with no painted bowls or cushion covers, just normal shopping items like shiny grey suits and bales of wool. Very few vendors hassling us and there were lots of locals doing their shopping. Bought some turkish delight which was shaved off a huge vertical block, much like a doner kebab. At the next shop we tried to buy the more regular variety, chose a few pieces, but the shop owner refused payment, and just said "gift" - amazing! Entered the mosque of the Hunat Hatun complex. A lot of men were hanging out there, either reading to themselves or out aloud, or just snoozing beside a column. Bus'ed to Sivas then had a long walk (4km) to our hotel with lots of locals helping us find the way - again with very little English. Went for a walk to the centre of Sivas only to find all the historic mosques and buildings enclosed by a big fence and under renovation. Sat on some steps in a square opposite the mosques and watched the locals watching us.
Practicalities: 09:00-10:00 bus from Urgup to Kayseri, cab to town (new otogar is quite far from town), 15:00-18:00 bus to Sivas. Stayed at Otel Divan - room 404.
Food: manti - cross between ravioli and gnocchi, topped with yoghurt - yum! (served by a female - very unusual!), iskender kebab.
22nd August 2008
Summary: bus to Erzurum
Had an early morning walk around Sivas - attempted to visit the Gok Medrese but it was also sealed off for renovation! Managed to stick our heads (mine wrapped in a scarf) into Ulu Cami (oldest mosque in Sivas) which was completely empty. Saw some impressive balancing acts (see photo) at the bus station while waiting to leave for Erzurum. Nice scenery again - gently undulating hills became barren mountains which then became a little more fertile with a stream running through. The approach to Erzurum was a little daunting - we had been in bright sunshine for the entire bus trip (entire 6 wks really), but a grey cloud seemed to envelope the town and a wind storm was brewing. Erzurum's main claim to fame is its Iranian Consulate, so unsurprisingly the first tourist we met (at the secret grog shop, equally unsurprisingly) was headed for Iran. Unfortunately we couldn't find a public place to drink so we didn't get a chance to chat properly. Erzurum is also known for it's conservative-ness (hence no drinking in public). Not only did we see our first black chadors but also some women (I assume) with their faces completely covered in brown sacks. At the same time there were enough females in western outfits that I didn't feel too under-dressed.
Practicalities: 10:30-17:00 bus to Erzurum, minibus into town. First time we arrived in a town without a hotel booking (excluding Lecce where we had the booking but the hotel didn't...) - headed to Kral Hotel where they had a Selcuk-themed room (314) and we managed to knock a whole 10 YTL off the price.
Food: soup, chicken, rice at bus canteen somewhere on the way, lentil soup, anatolian rice, turkish pizza at Salon Asya
23rd August 2008
Summary: Iranian Consulate
Erzurum was still grey when we woke up. Headed straight out to the Iranian Consulate, rather nervous as we'd heard lots of stories of people waiting weeks for their visas, even though they had already arranged authorisation codes (as we have). To maximise our chances I walked into the office in my Iranian outfit (long kaftan top + headscarf) only to find other western tourists there dressed "normally", so I ripped off the scarf. Couldn't have hoped for a better outcome - short wait, everyone was friendly, there didn't appear to be any problems and they told us to come back in the afternoon to pick up our visas. A french couple kindly lent us EUR 100 for payment as we didn't have any EUR cash. The french couple's (Ben and Sylvie) itinerary put our trip to shame - they are about to follow the same route as us through Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, but on RECUMBENT BICYCLES. They have already been on the road for 4 months, starting in Marseille, and planning to be travelling for 2 years in total. I will add a link to their blog for those of you who want to see what REAL travellers get up to. We had tea with them and then went for a short wander around town to the Cifte Minareli Medrese (double minareted theological school - this is officially the main site, not the consulate...) and through the jewellery bazaar. Had a siesta then met up with B+S again to head to the embassy. All our passports including visas were returned within 5 min - we were all ecstatic. Back in town we picked up their friend, another crazy french cyclist, Bruno, and checked out their bicycles. The boys went in search of beer (cherry juice for the girls) which we had back in our hotel room to celebrate a successful day. We all went out for dinner followed by baklava, where the other patrons asked where we were from and then showed us a newspaper article about Harry Kewell. Had our first rain for weeks and it was quite cold and windy (15C ish) after dinner.
Food: fruit, bread, turkish macaroon, lentil soup, antep kebab, adana kebab, baklava.
24th August 2008
Summary: bus to Dogubeyazit (aka Dog Biscuit)
Decided to make the most of our Iranian visas so hot-footed it to Dog Biscuit (border town 35km from Iran), being careful not to veer too far north (Georgia) or south (Iraq). The countryside and villages we passed were decidedly bleak and impoverished. Seemed to be a bit more livestock around (mmmm kebabs..). Admired Mt Ararat as we drove past (5165m - we were at approx 1500m). Dogubeyazit is a dusty town and most of the streets seem to be dug up though not fenced off. Combined with the black clouds and thunder it was less than inviting. There were lots of tanks and armed police around but G wouldn't let me take a photo :( Some kids were chatting incessantly to G on the way from the bus stop. One boy insisted he was Kurdish but not Turkish. Wandered around town, found the best supermarket since leaving London, the bus stop to Gurbalek (border crossing), and a paved street!
Practicalities: 10:30-14:30 bus, staying at Hotel Isfahan, room 122
Food: rice, beans, vegetables.
Summary: Mustafapasa, Soganli valley, Kaymakli Underground city
Joined a small tour to visit Mustafapasa - a small Greek village, a short walk along Soganli valley stopping at more cave nunneries, monasteries and churches, and the underground city at Kaymakli. Kaymakli was quite amazing - living space for 20,000 people, stables, wineries, a church, all connected by narrow, low tunnels, including a 9km passage to the next underground city, with frequent keystones to block off invaders. Reminded G of his Dungeons and Dragons days. After the tour we bought our onward bus tickets and finally stopped for tea at a cafe where G had promised the enthusiastic waiter the day we first arrived in Urgup that we would visit "tomorrow". While sitting there we spotted an American girl and her mum who were on our tour, and they joined us. Mustafa picked us up part way up the hill on the way back to the hotel. The poor guy had been sent by Eren to buy her a hair styling iron with 7 different attachments. She was very excited to receive it. One of the American guests made cocktails for everyone on the terrace.
Food: soup, rice, veggies, omelette, yoghurt on the tour, beef ravioli and salad at Ziggy's.
21st August 2008
Summary: bus to Kayseri, bus to Sivas
The otogar (bus station) at Kayseri was a bit of a shock - huge, sparkling and new with Mariah Carey blaring over the loudspeakers. That aside we are really getting into the wild east of Turkey now. The tourists have disappeared, as well almost all English-speaking locals, except for the carpet sellers of course. Started off exploring inside the walls of the citadel, now filled with stalls selling clothing. Walked through the covered bazaar. It was very different to the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul with no painted bowls or cushion covers, just normal shopping items like shiny grey suits and bales of wool. Very few vendors hassling us and there were lots of locals doing their shopping. Bought some turkish delight which was shaved off a huge vertical block, much like a doner kebab. At the next shop we tried to buy the more regular variety, chose a few pieces, but the shop owner refused payment, and just said "gift" - amazing! Entered the mosque of the Hunat Hatun complex. A lot of men were hanging out there, either reading to themselves or out aloud, or just snoozing beside a column. Bus'ed to Sivas then had a long walk (4km) to our hotel with lots of locals helping us find the way - again with very little English. Went for a walk to the centre of Sivas only to find all the historic mosques and buildings enclosed by a big fence and under renovation. Sat on some steps in a square opposite the mosques and watched the locals watching us.
Practicalities: 09:00-10:00 bus from Urgup to Kayseri, cab to town (new otogar is quite far from town), 15:00-18:00 bus to Sivas. Stayed at Otel Divan - room 404.
Food: manti - cross between ravioli and gnocchi, topped with yoghurt - yum! (served by a female - very unusual!), iskender kebab.
22nd August 2008
Summary: bus to Erzurum
Had an early morning walk around Sivas - attempted to visit the Gok Medrese but it was also sealed off for renovation! Managed to stick our heads (mine wrapped in a scarf) into Ulu Cami (oldest mosque in Sivas) which was completely empty. Saw some impressive balancing acts (see photo) at the bus station while waiting to leave for Erzurum. Nice scenery again - gently undulating hills became barren mountains which then became a little more fertile with a stream running through. The approach to Erzurum was a little daunting - we had been in bright sunshine for the entire bus trip (entire 6 wks really), but a grey cloud seemed to envelope the town and a wind storm was brewing. Erzurum's main claim to fame is its Iranian Consulate, so unsurprisingly the first tourist we met (at the secret grog shop, equally unsurprisingly) was headed for Iran. Unfortunately we couldn't find a public place to drink so we didn't get a chance to chat properly. Erzurum is also known for it's conservative-ness (hence no drinking in public). Not only did we see our first black chadors but also some women (I assume) with their faces completely covered in brown sacks. At the same time there were enough females in western outfits that I didn't feel too under-dressed.
Practicalities: 10:30-17:00 bus to Erzurum, minibus into town. First time we arrived in a town without a hotel booking (excluding Lecce where we had the booking but the hotel didn't...) - headed to Kral Hotel where they had a Selcuk-themed room (314) and we managed to knock a whole 10 YTL off the price.
Food: soup, chicken, rice at bus canteen somewhere on the way, lentil soup, anatolian rice, turkish pizza at Salon Asya
23rd August 2008
Summary: Iranian Consulate
Erzurum was still grey when we woke up. Headed straight out to the Iranian Consulate, rather nervous as we'd heard lots of stories of people waiting weeks for their visas, even though they had already arranged authorisation codes (as we have). To maximise our chances I walked into the office in my Iranian outfit (long kaftan top + headscarf) only to find other western tourists there dressed "normally", so I ripped off the scarf. Couldn't have hoped for a better outcome - short wait, everyone was friendly, there didn't appear to be any problems and they told us to come back in the afternoon to pick up our visas. A french couple kindly lent us EUR 100 for payment as we didn't have any EUR cash. The french couple's (Ben and Sylvie) itinerary put our trip to shame - they are about to follow the same route as us through Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, but on RECUMBENT BICYCLES. They have already been on the road for 4 months, starting in Marseille, and planning to be travelling for 2 years in total. I will add a link to their blog for those of you who want to see what REAL travellers get up to. We had tea with them and then went for a short wander around town to the Cifte Minareli Medrese (double minareted theological school - this is officially the main site, not the consulate...) and through the jewellery bazaar. Had a siesta then met up with B+S again to head to the embassy. All our passports including visas were returned within 5 min - we were all ecstatic. Back in town we picked up their friend, another crazy french cyclist, Bruno, and checked out their bicycles. The boys went in search of beer (cherry juice for the girls) which we had back in our hotel room to celebrate a successful day. We all went out for dinner followed by baklava, where the other patrons asked where we were from and then showed us a newspaper article about Harry Kewell. Had our first rain for weeks and it was quite cold and windy (15C ish) after dinner.
Food: fruit, bread, turkish macaroon, lentil soup, antep kebab, adana kebab, baklava.
24th August 2008
Summary: bus to Dogubeyazit (aka Dog Biscuit)
Decided to make the most of our Iranian visas so hot-footed it to Dog Biscuit (border town 35km from Iran), being careful not to veer too far north (Georgia) or south (Iraq). The countryside and villages we passed were decidedly bleak and impoverished. Seemed to be a bit more livestock around (mmmm kebabs..). Admired Mt Ararat as we drove past (5165m - we were at approx 1500m). Dogubeyazit is a dusty town and most of the streets seem to be dug up though not fenced off. Combined with the black clouds and thunder it was less than inviting. There were lots of tanks and armed police around but G wouldn't let me take a photo :( Some kids were chatting incessantly to G on the way from the bus stop. One boy insisted he was Kurdish but not Turkish. Wandered around town, found the best supermarket since leaving London, the bus stop to Gurbalek (border crossing), and a paved street!
Practicalities: 10:30-14:30 bus, staying at Hotel Isfahan, room 122
Food: rice, beans, vegetables.
Tuesday 19 August 2008
Selcuk to Cappadocia - 12 Aug to 19 Aug
12th August 2008
Summary: Selcuk, Ephesus
Went to the Ephesus Museum to do some research prior to our visit to Ephesus. As with Naples/Pompeii alot of the sculptures etc were in the museum. G got his first Turkish shoe shine afterwards. The guy shook his head sadly to indicate he couldn't do anything for my flip flops. Visited the ruins of the Basilica of St John on Ayasoluk Hill. Did a pilgrimmage out to Meryemana, thought to be where the Virgin Mary lived her last years. Afterwards went for a late aftenoon stroll through Ephesus, a large well preserved ancient city which rivals (some would say tops - I don't want to make a call) Pompeii. Highlights were the mosaics in the terrace houses and the library facade. Walked back into town along an mulberry tree lined avenue and bought some figs and peaches from an orchard along the way.
Food: humus, stuffed peppers and aubergine. turkish pizza on the roof terrace. G's first beer in a month.
13th August 2008
Summary: not much
Having had such an efficient day yesterday today has been a rest and admin day - our hotel bookings have almost run out, and trying to suss out Chinese embassies in Tashkent/Bishkek. Also discovered we will be in Iran during Ramadan - duh! Got sidetracked on the way to lunch by ice cream with Jimmy, Juju and other guests. Found out too late (they were leaving) that one of the guests was Iranian. Thought she was a local as she spoke perfect Turkish. G had his first Turkish haircut and shave since the one he had in London just before we left - he was very pleased and smooth afterwards. Had an interesting experience changing money at a jeweller's shop - their rates are much better than banks.
Food: mixture of home-cooked food near the hotel. Our former title holder of world's best kebab (Old St London) has been replaced by Gaziantep in Selcuk - had a yummy adana kebab - a spicy (but not hot) mixed kebab - delicious. More baklava from Ustam Baklaverria (not sure that's a proper Turkish word).
Turkish haircut notes from G: Number 1 with clippers followed by shave, second shave, eyebrow trim, flaming taper to get rid of fuzz, hair wash, and finished up with a scalp, shoulder, back and arm massage.
14th August 2008
Summary: Pamukkale
Had a theological discussion over breakfast. Juju told me that teeth were proof of the existence of God. G agreed. I almost choked on my Turkish tea. Had a 3.5 hour bumpy bus ride to Pamukkale. Halfway during the trip the steward served cake and drinks - awesome! Lunched at our hotel. It was so hot that even sitting in the shade sapped all our energy so we retreated to our air-conditioned room. Ventured out again at 5pm and it was still sweltering (45 degrees+). Our water was hotter than us by the time we drank it. Made it up to the travertines and removed our shoes to walk through the pools. Not quite as spectacular as the pictures as alot of the pools are dry, but still bizarre and quite an experience to walk through them barefoot (good exfoliation too). The ruins at Hierapolis were an added bonus. Highlight was a well preserved roman theatre, including the stage. Surrounding hillside also gorgeous. Stayed to watch the sun set over the travertines when they look at their best - check out the photos.
Practicalities: 09:00-12:30 bus to Pammukale. Staying at Venus Hotel, room 51.
Food: lamb kebab, salad, borek, cacik (similar to tzaziki) for lunch, chicken kebab and meat balls for dinner (ran out of fish :().
15th August 2008
Summary: bus to Konya
Bodily aromas on the dolmus to Denizli reminded me of Dan. The long bus ride went fairly quickly with more snacks and drinks and Rush Hour 3 dubbed into Turkish. We appeared to be the only tourists on the bus. Unfortunately we didn't realise the only food stop was the first one, where we didn't get any food. Konya is home of the whirling dervishes and is a relatively conservative city in western Turkey - about 50% of women were in headscarfs and well covered up, some in denim and/or trenchcoats. Don't know how they do it in temperatures of 30+. We arrived too late to do anything apart from a walk around town. Quite liked it - seemed clean, friendly, had a nice central park and very few tourists. Decided G is now officially off-white.
Practicalities: 10am dolmus to Denizli, then 11:00-18:00 bus to Konya, tram to town centre. Stayed at Ulusan Hotel, room 22. Our first shared bathroom. Very clean.
Food: muesli bars, nuts, dried fruit on the bus, Firin kebab and lamb kebab.
16th August 2008
Summary: Mevlana Museum, bus to Urgup
Had our first annoying Turk today. A guy insisted on followng us around the Mevlana Museum and gibbering and then charged 20 YTL for the privilege. I had to go through again by myself to enjoy it properly. It was a small but good museum containing the tomb of the Mevlana and various items such as huge coils of rosary beads (990 beads!), illuminated Korans and precious carpets. A lot of the visitors were pilgrims. Also had the best line of the trip after leaving the museum - a young guy approached us and said "You've just been to see the number one site in Konya, now you're going to see the second most important site...my carpet shop!". Wandered around to some of the other mosques but mostly just admired the facades. Had an eventful bus trip to Nevsehir (Cappadocia), including driving through a willy-willy and a young kid vomitting very close to G's feet. Had a nice chat with Eren, the hotel owner. Discovered she and G were on adjacent Exodus buses going through China 7 years ago. Freaky!
Practicalities: 14:00 bus to Nevsehir, minibus to Urgup, trek up to the hotel - Serinn Hotel.
17th August 2008
Summary: hot air balloon ride, walk with Mehmet
Woke up at 4:30am for our balloon ride over Cappadocia. Pretty cool (and a bit scary) being 1km up in the air, although think we were unlucky with the winds and we were unable to get close to the interesting rock formations. It was surprisingly calm and didn't notice the ascents/descents even though they were quite fast. Our basket and balloon was virtually brand new which was simultaneously nice but unnerving. The owner of the company which manufactured it came along for the ride. All the locals came over to watch as we landed in a field in a small village. Met a lovely Argentinian couple, Julian and Belen, who were also staying at our hotel - they are the dog's bollocks of travel companions http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/dog's%20bollocks.html). Went on a guided walk with them through the rose valley, climbing into pigeon houses and cave churches, and picking and eating fresh walnuts and hazelnuts. Scenery was absolutely stunning. Our guide, Mehmet, knew the area back to front and was full of information, including philisophical anecdotes involving grilled bananas with chocolate. Went into Urgup for dinner with J+B and an Italian couple.
Food: turkish pizzas, salad and icecream.
18th August 2008
Summary: Goreme Open Air Museum, more walking
Spent the day with J+B again. Mustafa from the hotel drove us into town in the Mustafa-mobile (has "Mustafa" across the windshield) to go to the Goreme Open Air Museum where we explored the cave churches, some covered in frescoes. Did a self-guided walk through Zemi Valley, again getting pretty lost and exhausted and covering almost double the expected distance. Picked grapes and plums for sustenance along the way. Finally made it to Uchisar where we stopped for a drink. Revived by our cokes and the fading sun we virtually ran through Pigeon Valley back to Goreme. There was one confusing part of the walk crossing a deep ravine where we collected a few other lost walkers - American and French. Eventually found a safe way across. Entering Goreme we saw an old man sitting on the kerb, looking strained, clenching his fists and making a flatulence sound. I was thinking the poor guy was senile, however after walking another few metres I realised there was a young boy sitting next to him and he was teaching him how to go to the toilet. We looked at each other and burst out laughing. Stopped for beers in Goreme. The French couple who followed us across the ravine joined us. The Americans who turned back to the road also walked past and were disappointed to hear they missed out on the rest of the walk. One of the guys working at the cafe pointed at G's head and said "melon!".
Food: homemade LENTIL SOUP and takeaway pide on the balcony at the hotel.
19th August 2008
Summary: hotel room
Have picked up a bit of a bug. Will spare you the details but am spending most of the day in the hotel room. G is fine and looking after me *aaawwww*.
Food: Gastrolite
Summary: Selcuk, Ephesus
Went to the Ephesus Museum to do some research prior to our visit to Ephesus. As with Naples/Pompeii alot of the sculptures etc were in the museum. G got his first Turkish shoe shine afterwards. The guy shook his head sadly to indicate he couldn't do anything for my flip flops. Visited the ruins of the Basilica of St John on Ayasoluk Hill. Did a pilgrimmage out to Meryemana, thought to be where the Virgin Mary lived her last years. Afterwards went for a late aftenoon stroll through Ephesus, a large well preserved ancient city which rivals (some would say tops - I don't want to make a call) Pompeii. Highlights were the mosaics in the terrace houses and the library facade. Walked back into town along an mulberry tree lined avenue and bought some figs and peaches from an orchard along the way.
Food: humus, stuffed peppers and aubergine. turkish pizza on the roof terrace. G's first beer in a month.
13th August 2008
Summary: not much
Having had such an efficient day yesterday today has been a rest and admin day - our hotel bookings have almost run out, and trying to suss out Chinese embassies in Tashkent/Bishkek. Also discovered we will be in Iran during Ramadan - duh! Got sidetracked on the way to lunch by ice cream with Jimmy, Juju and other guests. Found out too late (they were leaving) that one of the guests was Iranian. Thought she was a local as she spoke perfect Turkish. G had his first Turkish haircut and shave since the one he had in London just before we left - he was very pleased and smooth afterwards. Had an interesting experience changing money at a jeweller's shop - their rates are much better than banks.
Food: mixture of home-cooked food near the hotel. Our former title holder of world's best kebab (Old St London) has been replaced by Gaziantep in Selcuk - had a yummy adana kebab - a spicy (but not hot) mixed kebab - delicious. More baklava from Ustam Baklaverria (not sure that's a proper Turkish word).
Turkish haircut notes from G: Number 1 with clippers followed by shave, second shave, eyebrow trim, flaming taper to get rid of fuzz, hair wash, and finished up with a scalp, shoulder, back and arm massage.
14th August 2008
Summary: Pamukkale
Had a theological discussion over breakfast. Juju told me that teeth were proof of the existence of God. G agreed. I almost choked on my Turkish tea. Had a 3.5 hour bumpy bus ride to Pamukkale. Halfway during the trip the steward served cake and drinks - awesome! Lunched at our hotel. It was so hot that even sitting in the shade sapped all our energy so we retreated to our air-conditioned room. Ventured out again at 5pm and it was still sweltering (45 degrees+). Our water was hotter than us by the time we drank it. Made it up to the travertines and removed our shoes to walk through the pools. Not quite as spectacular as the pictures as alot of the pools are dry, but still bizarre and quite an experience to walk through them barefoot (good exfoliation too). The ruins at Hierapolis were an added bonus. Highlight was a well preserved roman theatre, including the stage. Surrounding hillside also gorgeous. Stayed to watch the sun set over the travertines when they look at their best - check out the photos.
Practicalities: 09:00-12:30 bus to Pammukale. Staying at Venus Hotel, room 51.
Food: lamb kebab, salad, borek, cacik (similar to tzaziki) for lunch, chicken kebab and meat balls for dinner (ran out of fish :().
15th August 2008
Summary: bus to Konya
Bodily aromas on the dolmus to Denizli reminded me of Dan. The long bus ride went fairly quickly with more snacks and drinks and Rush Hour 3 dubbed into Turkish. We appeared to be the only tourists on the bus. Unfortunately we didn't realise the only food stop was the first one, where we didn't get any food. Konya is home of the whirling dervishes and is a relatively conservative city in western Turkey - about 50% of women were in headscarfs and well covered up, some in denim and/or trenchcoats. Don't know how they do it in temperatures of 30+. We arrived too late to do anything apart from a walk around town. Quite liked it - seemed clean, friendly, had a nice central park and very few tourists. Decided G is now officially off-white.
Practicalities: 10am dolmus to Denizli, then 11:00-18:00 bus to Konya, tram to town centre. Stayed at Ulusan Hotel, room 22. Our first shared bathroom. Very clean.
Food: muesli bars, nuts, dried fruit on the bus, Firin kebab and lamb kebab.
16th August 2008
Summary: Mevlana Museum, bus to Urgup
Had our first annoying Turk today. A guy insisted on followng us around the Mevlana Museum and gibbering and then charged 20 YTL for the privilege. I had to go through again by myself to enjoy it properly. It was a small but good museum containing the tomb of the Mevlana and various items such as huge coils of rosary beads (990 beads!), illuminated Korans and precious carpets. A lot of the visitors were pilgrims. Also had the best line of the trip after leaving the museum - a young guy approached us and said "You've just been to see the number one site in Konya, now you're going to see the second most important site...my carpet shop!". Wandered around to some of the other mosques but mostly just admired the facades. Had an eventful bus trip to Nevsehir (Cappadocia), including driving through a willy-willy and a young kid vomitting very close to G's feet. Had a nice chat with Eren, the hotel owner. Discovered she and G were on adjacent Exodus buses going through China 7 years ago. Freaky!
Practicalities: 14:00 bus to Nevsehir, minibus to Urgup, trek up to the hotel - Serinn Hotel.
17th August 2008
Summary: hot air balloon ride, walk with Mehmet
Woke up at 4:30am for our balloon ride over Cappadocia. Pretty cool (and a bit scary) being 1km up in the air, although think we were unlucky with the winds and we were unable to get close to the interesting rock formations. It was surprisingly calm and didn't notice the ascents/descents even though they were quite fast. Our basket and balloon was virtually brand new which was simultaneously nice but unnerving. The owner of the company which manufactured it came along for the ride. All the locals came over to watch as we landed in a field in a small village. Met a lovely Argentinian couple, Julian and Belen, who were also staying at our hotel - they are the dog's bollocks of travel companions http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/dog's%20bollocks.html). Went on a guided walk with them through the rose valley, climbing into pigeon houses and cave churches, and picking and eating fresh walnuts and hazelnuts. Scenery was absolutely stunning. Our guide, Mehmet, knew the area back to front and was full of information, including philisophical anecdotes involving grilled bananas with chocolate. Went into Urgup for dinner with J+B and an Italian couple.
Food: turkish pizzas, salad and icecream.
18th August 2008
Summary: Goreme Open Air Museum, more walking
Spent the day with J+B again. Mustafa from the hotel drove us into town in the Mustafa-mobile (has "Mustafa" across the windshield) to go to the Goreme Open Air Museum where we explored the cave churches, some covered in frescoes. Did a self-guided walk through Zemi Valley, again getting pretty lost and exhausted and covering almost double the expected distance. Picked grapes and plums for sustenance along the way. Finally made it to Uchisar where we stopped for a drink. Revived by our cokes and the fading sun we virtually ran through Pigeon Valley back to Goreme. There was one confusing part of the walk crossing a deep ravine where we collected a few other lost walkers - American and French. Eventually found a safe way across. Entering Goreme we saw an old man sitting on the kerb, looking strained, clenching his fists and making a flatulence sound. I was thinking the poor guy was senile, however after walking another few metres I realised there was a young boy sitting next to him and he was teaching him how to go to the toilet. We looked at each other and burst out laughing. Stopped for beers in Goreme. The French couple who followed us across the ravine joined us. The Americans who turned back to the road also walked past and were disappointed to hear they missed out on the rest of the walk. One of the guys working at the cafe pointed at G's head and said "melon!".
Food: homemade LENTIL SOUP and takeaway pide on the balcony at the hotel.
19th August 2008
Summary: hotel room
Have picked up a bit of a bug. Will spare you the details but am spending most of the day in the hotel room. G is fine and looking after me *aaawwww*.
Food: Gastrolite
Tuesday 12 August 2008
Athens to Selcuk - 3 August to 11 August
3rd August 2008
Summary: Acropolis, National Archaelogical Museum, overnight ferry to Santorini
Went to the Acropolis first thing. Unfortunately alot of other people had the same idea, although it was still quite peaceful and pleasant on the far and sunny side of the Parthenon as the tour groups didn't bother walking all the way around. Admired the ancient scaffolding and the bits of the Parthenon which the Brits didn't bother nicking off with. Strolled through the ruins of the Roman Agora (market), then the flea market (active, not ruins). Wandered down to Hadrian's gate and Temple of Zeus, then went up to the National Archaelogical Museum where we spent a good few hours admiring the huge and fascinating collection including neolithic pottery and greek sculptures. Headed to Piraeus for our ferry. We were more excited this time as we had our own cabin. Sat the deck watching the mainland disappear.
Practicalities: 22:30 ferry to Santorini
Food: sandwiches outside the gallery, tapas-style greek food back in town for dinner.
4th August 2008
Summary: Santorini
Slept reasonably well, the main disturbances being overhead announcements for various stops throughout the night. Stood on deck to watch as the ship pulled into the caldera. Finally made it to Oia. Most of the photos you've ever seen of Santorini would have been taken here, and they are pretty accurate - it is full of white cave houses with the odd blue dome or church bell. It was also completely full of tourists around lunch time but then they all disappeared and it was quite peaceful. Went for a swim below the point where everyone was gathered to watch the sunset. The water was beautiful and clear. We didn't stick around to watch the sun set although what we saw from our terrace was not up to Lake Como standards. The starry sky was the best we've seen so far.
Practicalities: arrived in Santorini around 9am (schedule was 8:15), bus to Fira then to Oia which was a painfully slow process. Stayed at La Mer Cave House - a cute cave apartment with - you guessed it - great views of Oia and the caldera.
Food: have noticed a distinct decrease in value in restaurants in Santorini (general trend of trip has been increasing value) to the point where we walked out of the first cafe in protest to 4.50 EUR espressos (cheapest thing on the menu). Had lunch at Blue Sky restaurant, good grilled fish and reasonably priced, however service was incredibly bad (slow mainly) due to the cruise ship full of diners who descended on the restaurant just as we went in. Got free baklava as compensation. Dinner on our terrace.
5th August 2008
Summary: Fira
Headed into Fira to do our laundry. Wandered around the shops and had lunch (got the music again!) while we waited. Went for another swim back in Oia, racing each other back and forth. G is very excited to have his first ever tan, though most of it washes off in the shower. Appear to have temporarily adopted some neighbourhood cats who join us for dinner.
Food: nice grilled sea bass and white eggplant at a tavern called Nikolas, which several people/guidebooks recommended. Dinner on the terrace again - couldn't find chickpeas or lentils so trying red kidney beans. Mille feuille for dessert from the Oia patisserie as recommended by Bindy (thanks!) - very good.
6th August 2008
Summary: tour of islands
G dragged me around town looking for an early morning espresso. The only things open were souvenir shops, and the first cruise-load of tourists had already arrived. After a few laps one of the cafes finally opened. Went on a tour of the islands near Santorini. More accurately it was a glorified set of ferry trips, interesting enough though. First stop was Nea Kameni to see the crater of the volcano. Could really feel the heat under our feet and smell the sulfur. Next stop was to swim in the hot springs although we stayed on deck. Final stop was for lunch at Thirrasis. We were dropped off near our swimming hole so went straight for a swim. This time swam along the coast almost to our apartment. Our daily swims have been the highlight of Santorini. Slight drawback is that it's 300 odd steep steps to/from our apartment with little relief from the sun - at least it keeps the crowds down.
Food: swordfish souvlakis at Captain John's on Thirrasis. Red kidney beans again on our terrace.
7th August 2008
Summary: Mykonos
Woke up at 7am to fit in a last swim. The neighbourhood dogs had been sleeping outside our apartment and took a liking to G. They escorted us all the way down to the water (20min) , waited for us (one even jumped in) and escorted us back. G bangs head (again) on door to our room, this time drawing blood - he wasn't amused at my advice to duck next time. The catarmaran ride to Mykonos was extremely fast and bumpy. Motion sickness pills (thanks for the tip S+R!) are a brilliant invention. There was a lot of squealing and puking going on but we barely felt a thing. Spent the afternoon exploring the old town of Mykonos. Mykonos was also full of white and blue buildings, plus a couple of windmills. It was also incredibly windy. The passageways were quite peaceful until early evening when literally thousands of tourists appeared out of no where (suspect another cruise ship). Had a frustrating wait for the ferry office to open so we could pick up our tickets. There were no signs so we just kept checking. It opened at 8:30pm! Can't say I understand the appeal of Mykonos (and that's excluding the ferry office debacle), possibly because we're way beyond our clubbing days, but glad to have visited all the same.
Practicalities: taxi to port, 11:50-14:25 catarmaran to Mykonos (about 1 hr late arriving), hotel pick up. Stayed at Hotel Nazos, room 116, just out of town, friendly family run place.
Food: late lunch in Mykonos of pizza and salad. Dodgy dinner at a cafe next to the ferry office while waiting for it to open. Free ouzo with the hotel owner as he didn't like drinking alone.
8th August 2008
Summary: Karlovassi (Samos)
The hotel owner dropped us off at the new port for our early morning ferry. Finished off sleeping once the ferry got going. We are seriously in backpacker mode now. I was curled up in the fetal position across two tub chairs, while G slept on the ground. This would not have happened 4 weeks ago. Karlovassi is a fairly large though sleepy and friendly town, and refreshingly lacking in tourists. G managed to upload music from the ipod to the Italian laptop so am blogging to the tune of Nick Cave. Vaguely aware the olympics started today. Have disturbing welts on my arms. At first I thought I'd been attacked by an extremely tidy mosquito with 5 equidistant bites in a very straight line, but with the appearance of two other series of bites it seems too much of a coincidence.
Practicalities: 06:50-12:50 (late again) ferry to Karlovassi. Stayed at Anema by the Sea apartments, room 362.
Food: prices have returned to mainland Greece standards thankfully. Had my first and hopefully last retsina.
9th August 2008
Summary: Pythagorio
Our tendencies towards recreational mathematics got the better of us so we headed to Pythagorio, birthplace of a certain greek mathematician. Checked out the Efpalinio Orygma - an ancient (6th century BC) greek aqueduct. The site itself was not particularly interesting but it represents a remarkable feat of ancient engineering (go look up the details yourself in wikipedia). Spent lunch trying to prove Pythagoras' Theorem. G figured it out just before the mains arrived, along with the useful result of c squared = c squared. Did more research on Pythagoras on the blackberry and slept on a park bench in Vathy while waiting for our connecting bus. Also discovered what I thought was insect repellant is actually a soothing gel for insect bites (the label is in greek). This could explain a lot of bites...We are wondering what symbols Greek maths students use, as greek letters would be a little dull for them??
Practicalities: bus to Vathy then bus to Pythagorio
Food: Fava, salad, and swordfish souvlakis. Home-cooked dinner of salad, salami and cheese. Avoiding beans as members of Pythagoras' cult are forbidden to eat them. Accidentally bought port instead of red wine. Last few nights of alcohol not going well.
10th August 2008
Summary: Potami beach, Mikro Seitani
G went for two hours of orthodox mass. Aside from getting told off for sitting in the single ladies section it all went well. The hotel receptionist later told us he was the only guest to ever ask about mass. Went for a 1 hr hike on the high trail to Potami beach, with a very helpful and friendly local pointing out the route. Potami beach is a pretty pebbly bay, and not particularly crowded, definitely beat the beaches in Sorrento and Positano. We paused for a break but did not swim, instead pushing on to Mikro Seitani. We could see the gorgeous blue water from the road, but couldn't figure out how to get down. Had flashbacks of being lost in the ravine in Meteora, but eventually found our way down to the beach. The swim was particularly refreshing after the hot walk. Had lunch and another dip. Decided this even topped our Santorini swimming spot. Found an easier (only slightly) route up from the beach and walked back to Karlovassi along the road. Played with a sleepy kitten while waiting for our laundry.
Food: sandwiches from dinner leftovers, big meal in Meseo - salad, olives, eggplant, chicken and pork souvlakis.
11th August 2008
Summary: travelled from Karlovassi to Selcuk
Quiet morning in Karlovassi with the main exertion being another coffee run. Headed to Vathy for our ferry to Turkey, ironically named "Kusadasi Express" given that it took 1.5 hrs for the 30km journey. Trekked to the otogar (bus station) where the procedure was fairly obvious - a big turkish guy was screaming "Selcuk!!" and waving at us frantically. Bid farewell to the ocean which we won't be seeing for a couple of months (no different to being in London really). On disembarking at Selcuk we were surrounded by men asking if we needed a hotel, where we were going next etc. I had already booked so asked them for directions. Started getting worried that I had divulged too much information and would have to buy a few carpets before making it to the hotel, but they took us to the counter to buy bus tickets to Pammukale, and then the bus ticket vendor called our hotel who came and picked us up, despite being only a 5 min walk away. Amazing! Hotel owners were super friendly. Sat on the roof terrace watching the olympics, chatting with other guests, simultaneously listening to pop music ("It's raining men") in one ear and the call to prayer in the other. Had a great dinner and then Juju insisted on taking us to the best baklava shop in town. Really enjoying the organised chaos that is Turkey. G already talking about moving here and learning to play backgammon.
Practicalities: 3pm bus to Vathy, 5pm ferry to Kusadasi, staying at Urkmez Hotel, room FOUR.
Food: stuffed tomatoes, peppers and baked aubergine in Karlovassi, grilled sea bream, anatolian rice and spicy salsa at the hotel in Selcuk.
Summary: Acropolis, National Archaelogical Museum, overnight ferry to Santorini
Went to the Acropolis first thing. Unfortunately alot of other people had the same idea, although it was still quite peaceful and pleasant on the far and sunny side of the Parthenon as the tour groups didn't bother walking all the way around. Admired the ancient scaffolding and the bits of the Parthenon which the Brits didn't bother nicking off with. Strolled through the ruins of the Roman Agora (market), then the flea market (active, not ruins). Wandered down to Hadrian's gate and Temple of Zeus, then went up to the National Archaelogical Museum where we spent a good few hours admiring the huge and fascinating collection including neolithic pottery and greek sculptures. Headed to Piraeus for our ferry. We were more excited this time as we had our own cabin. Sat the deck watching the mainland disappear.
Practicalities: 22:30 ferry to Santorini
Food: sandwiches outside the gallery, tapas-style greek food back in town for dinner.
4th August 2008
Summary: Santorini
Slept reasonably well, the main disturbances being overhead announcements for various stops throughout the night. Stood on deck to watch as the ship pulled into the caldera. Finally made it to Oia. Most of the photos you've ever seen of Santorini would have been taken here, and they are pretty accurate - it is full of white cave houses with the odd blue dome or church bell. It was also completely full of tourists around lunch time but then they all disappeared and it was quite peaceful. Went for a swim below the point where everyone was gathered to watch the sunset. The water was beautiful and clear. We didn't stick around to watch the sun set although what we saw from our terrace was not up to Lake Como standards. The starry sky was the best we've seen so far.
Practicalities: arrived in Santorini around 9am (schedule was 8:15), bus to Fira then to Oia which was a painfully slow process. Stayed at La Mer Cave House - a cute cave apartment with - you guessed it - great views of Oia and the caldera.
Food: have noticed a distinct decrease in value in restaurants in Santorini (general trend of trip has been increasing value) to the point where we walked out of the first cafe in protest to 4.50 EUR espressos (cheapest thing on the menu). Had lunch at Blue Sky restaurant, good grilled fish and reasonably priced, however service was incredibly bad (slow mainly) due to the cruise ship full of diners who descended on the restaurant just as we went in. Got free baklava as compensation. Dinner on our terrace.
5th August 2008
Summary: Fira
Headed into Fira to do our laundry. Wandered around the shops and had lunch (got the music again!) while we waited. Went for another swim back in Oia, racing each other back and forth. G is very excited to have his first ever tan, though most of it washes off in the shower. Appear to have temporarily adopted some neighbourhood cats who join us for dinner.
Food: nice grilled sea bass and white eggplant at a tavern called Nikolas, which several people/guidebooks recommended. Dinner on the terrace again - couldn't find chickpeas or lentils so trying red kidney beans. Mille feuille for dessert from the Oia patisserie as recommended by Bindy (thanks!) - very good.
6th August 2008
Summary: tour of islands
G dragged me around town looking for an early morning espresso. The only things open were souvenir shops, and the first cruise-load of tourists had already arrived. After a few laps one of the cafes finally opened. Went on a tour of the islands near Santorini. More accurately it was a glorified set of ferry trips, interesting enough though. First stop was Nea Kameni to see the crater of the volcano. Could really feel the heat under our feet and smell the sulfur. Next stop was to swim in the hot springs although we stayed on deck. Final stop was for lunch at Thirrasis. We were dropped off near our swimming hole so went straight for a swim. This time swam along the coast almost to our apartment. Our daily swims have been the highlight of Santorini. Slight drawback is that it's 300 odd steep steps to/from our apartment with little relief from the sun - at least it keeps the crowds down.
Food: swordfish souvlakis at Captain John's on Thirrasis. Red kidney beans again on our terrace.
7th August 2008
Summary: Mykonos
Woke up at 7am to fit in a last swim. The neighbourhood dogs had been sleeping outside our apartment and took a liking to G. They escorted us all the way down to the water (20min) , waited for us (one even jumped in) and escorted us back. G bangs head (again) on door to our room, this time drawing blood - he wasn't amused at my advice to duck next time. The catarmaran ride to Mykonos was extremely fast and bumpy. Motion sickness pills (thanks for the tip S+R!) are a brilliant invention. There was a lot of squealing and puking going on but we barely felt a thing. Spent the afternoon exploring the old town of Mykonos. Mykonos was also full of white and blue buildings, plus a couple of windmills. It was also incredibly windy. The passageways were quite peaceful until early evening when literally thousands of tourists appeared out of no where (suspect another cruise ship). Had a frustrating wait for the ferry office to open so we could pick up our tickets. There were no signs so we just kept checking. It opened at 8:30pm! Can't say I understand the appeal of Mykonos (and that's excluding the ferry office debacle), possibly because we're way beyond our clubbing days, but glad to have visited all the same.
Practicalities: taxi to port, 11:50-14:25 catarmaran to Mykonos (about 1 hr late arriving), hotel pick up. Stayed at Hotel Nazos, room 116, just out of town, friendly family run place.
Food: late lunch in Mykonos of pizza and salad. Dodgy dinner at a cafe next to the ferry office while waiting for it to open. Free ouzo with the hotel owner as he didn't like drinking alone.
8th August 2008
Summary: Karlovassi (Samos)
The hotel owner dropped us off at the new port for our early morning ferry. Finished off sleeping once the ferry got going. We are seriously in backpacker mode now. I was curled up in the fetal position across two tub chairs, while G slept on the ground. This would not have happened 4 weeks ago. Karlovassi is a fairly large though sleepy and friendly town, and refreshingly lacking in tourists. G managed to upload music from the ipod to the Italian laptop so am blogging to the tune of Nick Cave. Vaguely aware the olympics started today. Have disturbing welts on my arms. At first I thought I'd been attacked by an extremely tidy mosquito with 5 equidistant bites in a very straight line, but with the appearance of two other series of bites it seems too much of a coincidence.
Practicalities: 06:50-12:50 (late again) ferry to Karlovassi. Stayed at Anema by the Sea apartments, room 362.
Food: prices have returned to mainland Greece standards thankfully. Had my first and hopefully last retsina.
9th August 2008
Summary: Pythagorio
Our tendencies towards recreational mathematics got the better of us so we headed to Pythagorio, birthplace of a certain greek mathematician. Checked out the Efpalinio Orygma - an ancient (6th century BC) greek aqueduct. The site itself was not particularly interesting but it represents a remarkable feat of ancient engineering (go look up the details yourself in wikipedia). Spent lunch trying to prove Pythagoras' Theorem. G figured it out just before the mains arrived, along with the useful result of c squared = c squared. Did more research on Pythagoras on the blackberry and slept on a park bench in Vathy while waiting for our connecting bus. Also discovered what I thought was insect repellant is actually a soothing gel for insect bites (the label is in greek). This could explain a lot of bites...We are wondering what symbols Greek maths students use, as greek letters would be a little dull for them??
Practicalities: bus to Vathy then bus to Pythagorio
Food: Fava, salad, and swordfish souvlakis. Home-cooked dinner of salad, salami and cheese. Avoiding beans as members of Pythagoras' cult are forbidden to eat them. Accidentally bought port instead of red wine. Last few nights of alcohol not going well.
10th August 2008
Summary: Potami beach, Mikro Seitani
G went for two hours of orthodox mass. Aside from getting told off for sitting in the single ladies section it all went well. The hotel receptionist later told us he was the only guest to ever ask about mass. Went for a 1 hr hike on the high trail to Potami beach, with a very helpful and friendly local pointing out the route. Potami beach is a pretty pebbly bay, and not particularly crowded, definitely beat the beaches in Sorrento and Positano. We paused for a break but did not swim, instead pushing on to Mikro Seitani. We could see the gorgeous blue water from the road, but couldn't figure out how to get down. Had flashbacks of being lost in the ravine in Meteora, but eventually found our way down to the beach. The swim was particularly refreshing after the hot walk. Had lunch and another dip. Decided this even topped our Santorini swimming spot. Found an easier (only slightly) route up from the beach and walked back to Karlovassi along the road. Played with a sleepy kitten while waiting for our laundry.
Food: sandwiches from dinner leftovers, big meal in Meseo - salad, olives, eggplant, chicken and pork souvlakis.
11th August 2008
Summary: travelled from Karlovassi to Selcuk
Quiet morning in Karlovassi with the main exertion being another coffee run. Headed to Vathy for our ferry to Turkey, ironically named "Kusadasi Express" given that it took 1.5 hrs for the 30km journey. Trekked to the otogar (bus station) where the procedure was fairly obvious - a big turkish guy was screaming "Selcuk!!" and waving at us frantically. Bid farewell to the ocean which we won't be seeing for a couple of months (no different to being in London really). On disembarking at Selcuk we were surrounded by men asking if we needed a hotel, where we were going next etc. I had already booked so asked them for directions. Started getting worried that I had divulged too much information and would have to buy a few carpets before making it to the hotel, but they took us to the counter to buy bus tickets to Pammukale, and then the bus ticket vendor called our hotel who came and picked us up, despite being only a 5 min walk away. Amazing! Hotel owners were super friendly. Sat on the roof terrace watching the olympics, chatting with other guests, simultaneously listening to pop music ("It's raining men") in one ear and the call to prayer in the other. Had a great dinner and then Juju insisted on taking us to the best baklava shop in town. Really enjoying the organised chaos that is Turkey. G already talking about moving here and learning to play backgammon.
Practicalities: 3pm bus to Vathy, 5pm ferry to Kusadasi, staying at Urkmez Hotel, room FOUR.
Food: stuffed tomatoes, peppers and baked aubergine in Karlovassi, grilled sea bream, anatolian rice and spicy salsa at the hotel in Selcuk.
Saturday 2 August 2008
Lecce to Athens - 29 July to 2 August
29th July 2008
Summary: Big travel day - Positano->Sorrento->Naples->Caserta->Lecce
Spent basically the whole day travelling today. Was feeling quite wiped out - I think a combination of the heat and stair climb with 10kg pack. Fortunately I was partially revived by 1L of gatorade by the time I heard the news that our Lecce hotel had lost our booking. One of us remained calm under pressure (readers may vote for who they think this was). Arrived in Lecce at 19:45 expecting to wander around for a few hours looking for a hotel. Fortunately the first one we tried had a spare room. G was pleased it was no worse than his Islamabad hotel which had geckos on the walls. We didn't have unexpected flora or fauna, just nice views of the train tracks. After checking in went out for a great dinner and a quick explore and obligatory gelato.
Practicalities: 11:20am bus to Sorrento, Circumvesuviana train to Naples, train to Caserta, another train to Lecce, arriving 19:45. Ended up staying at Hotel Capelli, room 21.
Food: had our fornightly meat intake at a great little osteria, La Vecchia Osteria - great antipasti, Lecce-style sausages and grilled lamb with rosemary.
30th July 2008
Summary: Lecce, overnight ferry to Igoumenitsa (Greece)
Had a relaxed day wandering Lecce, enjoying the baroque architecture. Unfortunately most of the churches were closed so we could only admire the facades. Lecce became a ghost town after lunch as all the locals had their siesta. Headed to Brindisi for our ferry, which seemed like a pleasant enough town as far as transport hubs go. The port itself was much more set up for vehicles than foot passengers. We wallked through vast expanses of tarmac to get to the boat, horrified to find 4 contiki busloads also boarding. Currently blogging on deck. Hope we can sleep on the "aircraft style" seats (the contiki groups stole all the beds!).
Practicalities: 21:30-08:00 (+1 day) ferry to Igoumenitsa
Food: back to the same osteria for antipasti and pasta for lunch. Rather strange Lecce'an bread for dinner filled with olives and sundried tomatoes.
31st July 2008
Summary: Ioannina, drive through Pindhos ranges, Kalambaka, Kastraki
Not a lot of sleep overnight due to uncomfortable seats, TV watchers, loud conversations at 3am, and a 5am stop in Corfu. I challenged G to remain cheerful for the day - no sense of humour failures all round fortunately. Clambered bleary-eyed onto deck to enjoy our first sighting of Greece to the tune of Greek music. Had pleasant mountain scenery on our bus ride to Ioannina, where we stopped to explore the town. Wandered through a market where we bought some fruit and got a complementary greek lesson from the friendly fruit sellers. Walked to the lake which was looking rather choppy but unfortunately there wasn't enough time to catch the ferry to Nissi Island to visit the monasteries. Explored the Kastro which had Ottoman buildings such as a library, bathhouse and mosques, and checked out the Byzantine museum. After lunch hopped on the bus to Kalambaka which was an unexpected highlight (how exciting does a 3 hr bus ride sound). I had been planning to catch up on some sleep but spent most of the trip gawking at the stunning Pindhos mountain range, the Katara pass, and then the monoliths of Meteora. The roads were good though rather windy. It was like Amalfi without the sea. Also spoke to some backpackers from Canada and Germany. They were all young and had run out of money so they were camping. We felt a bit bourgeois admitting to staying in hotels. Alighted in Kalambaka and after an efficient trip to the train station to buy tickets to Athens we then wasted an hour waiting in the wrong "main" square for the wrong bookshop to open in order to buy a hiking map (Rough Guide maps are poor/non-existent, as are Greek street signs). Eventually gave up and started walking to Kastraki, at which point we discovered the correct square. So at least we got our map. Finally made it to our hotel (of course at the opposite end of town) where we were given a great room and balcony with panoramic views of the rocks. Went for dinner and then had a really good night's sleep.
Practicalities: Arrived 7.15am in Igoumenista and made the 8:15-10am bus to Ioannina. 2-5pm bus to Kalambaka. Stayed at Doupiani House, room 18.
Food: lunch at Stin Ithaki on the lakeside at Ioannina - courgette patties, eggplant salad, chicken pie and pork kebab. Dinner just north of the church in Kastraki - tzaziki, cucumber and tomato salad, stuffed tomatoes/peppers, moussaka.
1st August 2008
Summary: hiking to monasteries of Meteora
As soon as we appeared for breakfast the hotel owner put on the same music track as we heard on the boat. Wondering how many times we will hear this tune. Got a fairly early start to avoid the heat, hiking to the first monastery (Megalou Meteorou) in about 1 hr. The monoliths looked much less daunting close up (or we were just much fitter). There was no one else on the hiking trails (except for a turtle) but when we got to the monastery hoards of tourists appeared. Explored the church (Greek Orthodox with lots of frescoes of beheadings), refectory, and ossuary. Nice enough but way too many tourists around. The hike and scenery were definitely the highlights. By the time we left there was a massive queue of tourists waiting to get in. Wandered down the road to the next monastery (Varlaam) for more of the same. Noticed that the priests had little cable cars to get around. After Varlaam we followed the Rough Guide's suggestion of going through the ravine to get to the next monastery instead of walking along the road. What was meant to take 35 min took 1.5 hrs with many wrong turns, deadends, scrapes on thorns and clambering up/down small cliffs which we though was the path but wasn't. We did manage to purchase a dishwasher for our new tenants though (on the mobile of course). Luckily we weren't feeling the lethargy of previous days, and the heat was surprisingly bearable, though perhaps it's was simply that when faced with a life-threatening situation we forgot about such trivial discomforts (Maslow's Heirarchy). Finally made it to the road and the next monastery (Roussanou). Decided to call it a day and walked back to Kastraki along a dry stream bed. Didn't walk past a single tourist in 5 hours of hiking.
Food: lunch at the the same tavern as the previous night (almost the same food too :)). Dinner at a tavern closer to home with a cute little grey kitten that sat on Geoff's lap.
2nd August 2008
Summary: Athens
Apparently taxi drivers don't operate so early in the morning so we had to wake up at 5:20am and do a 35 min trek down to Kalambaka in the darkness. Snoozed and enjoyed the scenery on the train journey - not quite Pindhos ranges but still very nice. Slept off the early start after lunch then went for a walk around Plaka, full of pedestrianised streets, mostly lined with tourist shops and restaurants, though not completely overwhelmed with tourists fortunately. Checked out the Roman Forum and Tower of the Winds, and walked back to the hotel past Hadrian's library. G went to mass at the cathedral nearby with a group of kiwi pilgrims. Keep having to make spitting noises at G every time he looks at me to ward off the evil blue-eyed curse (local superstition). Thought of the day is why bidets aren't as popular in Greece as in Italy? You can't flush loo paper here, have to put it in the bin.
Practicalities: 6:33-11:15am train to Athens and short metro ride to our hotel. Stayed at Central Hotel, room 610 - nice, modern and...central. Bugger to look up on the internet.
Food: Fried rice and noodles (inspired by Sonya and Ross) at a noodle bar near the hotel. Cheese and salami plus Greek wine on our balcony. Preparing our own meal is now almost as expensive as eating out.
Errata: Today's bizarre afternoon siesta dream sequence was the destruction of the Macquarie Bank building in Sydney in an earthquake (G) and a bus going over a cliff (J). G finished Peter Green's Alexander the Great and has decided to reread it. Alexander's empire stretched from modern day Greece to Kyrgyzstan which is pretty much the region we will cover. J has managed one chapter on The Great Game - a good achievement
Summary: Big travel day - Positano->Sorrento->Naples->Caserta->Lecce
Spent basically the whole day travelling today. Was feeling quite wiped out - I think a combination of the heat and stair climb with 10kg pack. Fortunately I was partially revived by 1L of gatorade by the time I heard the news that our Lecce hotel had lost our booking. One of us remained calm under pressure (readers may vote for who they think this was). Arrived in Lecce at 19:45 expecting to wander around for a few hours looking for a hotel. Fortunately the first one we tried had a spare room. G was pleased it was no worse than his Islamabad hotel which had geckos on the walls. We didn't have unexpected flora or fauna, just nice views of the train tracks. After checking in went out for a great dinner and a quick explore and obligatory gelato.
Practicalities: 11:20am bus to Sorrento, Circumvesuviana train to Naples, train to Caserta, another train to Lecce, arriving 19:45. Ended up staying at Hotel Capelli, room 21.
Food: had our fornightly meat intake at a great little osteria, La Vecchia Osteria - great antipasti, Lecce-style sausages and grilled lamb with rosemary.
30th July 2008
Summary: Lecce, overnight ferry to Igoumenitsa (Greece)
Had a relaxed day wandering Lecce, enjoying the baroque architecture. Unfortunately most of the churches were closed so we could only admire the facades. Lecce became a ghost town after lunch as all the locals had their siesta. Headed to Brindisi for our ferry, which seemed like a pleasant enough town as far as transport hubs go. The port itself was much more set up for vehicles than foot passengers. We wallked through vast expanses of tarmac to get to the boat, horrified to find 4 contiki busloads also boarding. Currently blogging on deck. Hope we can sleep on the "aircraft style" seats (the contiki groups stole all the beds!).
Practicalities: 21:30-08:00 (+1 day) ferry to Igoumenitsa
Food: back to the same osteria for antipasti and pasta for lunch. Rather strange Lecce'an bread for dinner filled with olives and sundried tomatoes.
31st July 2008
Summary: Ioannina, drive through Pindhos ranges, Kalambaka, Kastraki
Not a lot of sleep overnight due to uncomfortable seats, TV watchers, loud conversations at 3am, and a 5am stop in Corfu. I challenged G to remain cheerful for the day - no sense of humour failures all round fortunately. Clambered bleary-eyed onto deck to enjoy our first sighting of Greece to the tune of Greek music. Had pleasant mountain scenery on our bus ride to Ioannina, where we stopped to explore the town. Wandered through a market where we bought some fruit and got a complementary greek lesson from the friendly fruit sellers. Walked to the lake which was looking rather choppy but unfortunately there wasn't enough time to catch the ferry to Nissi Island to visit the monasteries. Explored the Kastro which had Ottoman buildings such as a library, bathhouse and mosques, and checked out the Byzantine museum. After lunch hopped on the bus to Kalambaka which was an unexpected highlight (how exciting does a 3 hr bus ride sound). I had been planning to catch up on some sleep but spent most of the trip gawking at the stunning Pindhos mountain range, the Katara pass, and then the monoliths of Meteora. The roads were good though rather windy. It was like Amalfi without the sea. Also spoke to some backpackers from Canada and Germany. They were all young and had run out of money so they were camping. We felt a bit bourgeois admitting to staying in hotels. Alighted in Kalambaka and after an efficient trip to the train station to buy tickets to Athens we then wasted an hour waiting in the wrong "main" square for the wrong bookshop to open in order to buy a hiking map (Rough Guide maps are poor/non-existent, as are Greek street signs). Eventually gave up and started walking to Kastraki, at which point we discovered the correct square. So at least we got our map. Finally made it to our hotel (of course at the opposite end of town) where we were given a great room and balcony with panoramic views of the rocks. Went for dinner and then had a really good night's sleep.
Practicalities: Arrived 7.15am in Igoumenista and made the 8:15-10am bus to Ioannina. 2-5pm bus to Kalambaka. Stayed at Doupiani House, room 18.
Food: lunch at Stin Ithaki on the lakeside at Ioannina - courgette patties, eggplant salad, chicken pie and pork kebab. Dinner just north of the church in Kastraki - tzaziki, cucumber and tomato salad, stuffed tomatoes/peppers, moussaka.
1st August 2008
Summary: hiking to monasteries of Meteora
As soon as we appeared for breakfast the hotel owner put on the same music track as we heard on the boat. Wondering how many times we will hear this tune. Got a fairly early start to avoid the heat, hiking to the first monastery (Megalou Meteorou) in about 1 hr. The monoliths looked much less daunting close up (or we were just much fitter). There was no one else on the hiking trails (except for a turtle) but when we got to the monastery hoards of tourists appeared. Explored the church (Greek Orthodox with lots of frescoes of beheadings), refectory, and ossuary. Nice enough but way too many tourists around. The hike and scenery were definitely the highlights. By the time we left there was a massive queue of tourists waiting to get in. Wandered down the road to the next monastery (Varlaam) for more of the same. Noticed that the priests had little cable cars to get around. After Varlaam we followed the Rough Guide's suggestion of going through the ravine to get to the next monastery instead of walking along the road. What was meant to take 35 min took 1.5 hrs with many wrong turns, deadends, scrapes on thorns and clambering up/down small cliffs which we though was the path but wasn't. We did manage to purchase a dishwasher for our new tenants though (on the mobile of course). Luckily we weren't feeling the lethargy of previous days, and the heat was surprisingly bearable, though perhaps it's was simply that when faced with a life-threatening situation we forgot about such trivial discomforts (Maslow's Heirarchy). Finally made it to the road and the next monastery (Roussanou). Decided to call it a day and walked back to Kastraki along a dry stream bed. Didn't walk past a single tourist in 5 hours of hiking.
Food: lunch at the the same tavern as the previous night (almost the same food too :)). Dinner at a tavern closer to home with a cute little grey kitten that sat on Geoff's lap.
2nd August 2008
Summary: Athens
Apparently taxi drivers don't operate so early in the morning so we had to wake up at 5:20am and do a 35 min trek down to Kalambaka in the darkness. Snoozed and enjoyed the scenery on the train journey - not quite Pindhos ranges but still very nice. Slept off the early start after lunch then went for a walk around Plaka, full of pedestrianised streets, mostly lined with tourist shops and restaurants, though not completely overwhelmed with tourists fortunately. Checked out the Roman Forum and Tower of the Winds, and walked back to the hotel past Hadrian's library. G went to mass at the cathedral nearby with a group of kiwi pilgrims. Keep having to make spitting noises at G every time he looks at me to ward off the evil blue-eyed curse (local superstition). Thought of the day is why bidets aren't as popular in Greece as in Italy? You can't flush loo paper here, have to put it in the bin.
Practicalities: 6:33-11:15am train to Athens and short metro ride to our hotel. Stayed at Central Hotel, room 610 - nice, modern and...central. Bugger to look up on the internet.
Food: Fried rice and noodles (inspired by Sonya and Ross) at a noodle bar near the hotel. Cheese and salami plus Greek wine on our balcony. Preparing our own meal is now almost as expensive as eating out.
Errata: Today's bizarre afternoon siesta dream sequence was the destruction of the Macquarie Bank building in Sydney in an earthquake (G) and a bus going over a cliff (J). G finished Peter Green's Alexander the Great and has decided to reread it. Alexander's empire stretched from modern day Greece to Kyrgyzstan which is pretty much the region we will cover. J has managed one chapter on The Great Game - a good achievement
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