stories from the dining car: Turkey Part 1

It seems like so long since we have updated the blog - we have been very busy enjoying Turkey. Such a fantastic country - for those who haven't been I recommend it.

Our trip started with an early morning flight from London (3:30 wake up - not fun). We landed in Istanbul around lunch time and decided to catch the tram into the city - thankfully people were very friendly and with a lot of help we got to the hotel. That night we met our group for the next couple of weeks and had a nice dinner.

Day 2 was an early start. We hopped on a bus and headed for Gallipoli. Was really interesting to see. Also interesting to hear the other side of the story and see the respect the Turkish have for the Australian and New Zealand soldiers.

After Gallipoli we crossed the Dardanelles by ferry and spent the night in Canakkale. The next morning we were back on the bus and headed out to Troy. Despite having read there was nothing to see it was fascinating. The ruins are well worth seeing and there is the oportunity for a cheesy tourist photo in a wooden horse - who could resist.

From Troy we headed to a seaside town called Ayvalik where we stayed in an old greek house complete with rooftop, vine covered terrace. The perfect spot to watch the sunset and enjoy a few drinks before heading into town for dinner.

Possiby not the real wooden horse of Troy

Sunset from the terrace in Ayvalik

After Ayvalik we caught the bus down to Selcuk. This was our base for 2 days as it is the closest town to Ephesus (apparently the greatest Greco-Roman site in the world). I wasn't really sure what to expect - but it was amazing. Some parts are still so intact it is possible to get an idea of what life must have been like there. And the library building is just breath taking. There are also some recently unearthed houses where it is possible to see perfectly intact mosaics.

Ben in Ephesus

Ben at the library in Ephesus

After a day at Ephesus we headed up to a small mountain village for a delicious dinner and a great view of the sunset.

The next day we were once again on the bus and headed to Pamukkale. We walked up through the white terraces before exploring the ancient city of Hierapolis located at the top. Walking back over the terraces at sunset was amazing.

Ben at the white terraces

White terraces - matching green shorts unintentional

Ampitheatre at Hierapolis

From Pamukkale the majority of our group headed back to Istanbul and we were reduced to 7.

We headed to Fethiye the next day and spent some time at the beach. For dinner we went to the fish markets where you choose your fish and take it to the local restaurants where they cook it up for you. Delicious.

Ben enjoying the beach

The next day we did a nice walk through the forest and along the coast to wind up at the beach. The scenery was beautiful and the water looked amazing. It was so clear you could see the shadows from the boats on the sea floor.

That afternoon we had the optional extra of paragliding. I never knew I wanted to do it - but after 1 or maybe 2 wines the night before I decided that it was for me. I woke up slightly regretting my decision but am now so glad I did it. The jump point is 1960m above sea level and you land on the beach. The scariest part was without doubt the drive up the cliff hugging dirt track to the top. Once at the top it was all systems go and taking off was easy - although I must admit running as fast as you can towards a cliff edge is a little nerve racking!

The flight down was amazing, very peaceful and relaxing. We did do some spins and tricks which to me seemed quite scary, but once I looked at the video I realised my "pilot" was actually smoking a cigarette as he was doing them - so I guess not that scary for him. The video is hilarious though.