Katie and Will go to White Castle

Katie and I arrived on Sunday afternoon in Pamukkale by way of a three hour bus from Selcuk. Throughout the bus ride we were able to try and take in the arrid, mountainous landscape surrounding us. We had one scheduled pit stop during the bus ride where our bus driver, other crew members and gas station workers sat down to have hot tea, or 'cay' (pronounced chai-y). They offered it to us as well, don't mind if I do! People have been very helpful, hospitable and accommodating to us during our time in Turkey. People go out of their way to share what little they have, it's very humbling.

In Pamukkale we decided to "splurge" on a hotel/hostel after camping for a couple nights. It is very hot here right now, so the added comfort of AC was welcomed. We've also encountered some traveler's tummy troubles. Nothing serious, but a private bathroom was also a welcome amenity. The hotel also offers free breakfast, wifi, a friendly staff, a 5-minute walk to the tavertines (which you will hear about shortly), and a pool to boot! When I say "splurge", we negotiated for a 50 lira per night stay, which is a whopping $25. The room was bit dingy, but we're not complaining. Maybe you can guess why..

Pamukkale is know for its breathtaking tavertines. Pamukkale translates to 'white castle' from Turkish. Made up of 17 hot water springs, ranging from 95 to 212 degrees. The water flowing from these springs is saturated with calcium carbonate. The carbon dioxide is released from the water and during this reaction the calcium carbonate is deposited as sediment, eventually hardening to form travertines. Here is a picture so you can try to wrap your head around that.

None of the water we encountered was more than warm. You're able to walk and swim, though none of the pools are very deep, throughout the travertines freely, but everyone must remove their shoes. There is also a mud layer beneath the water that is said to have healing powers and do wonders for skin. Pamukkale was actually used as a pseudo-spa during antiquity. Here are some pictures of Katie and I testing it out.

We really enjoyed our adventure to the travertines. And we're really coming to enjoy Turkey as our time here winds down. Tonight we take an overnight bus back to Istanbul and tomorrow afternoon we fly to Athens! We'll keep y'all posted.

Cheers,

Will and Katie 

Ephesus

Yesterday, whilst staying at Garden Camping, we were lucky enough to wander through the ruins o Ephesus. While Will and I both thought that the ruins were one of the seven wonders of the world we were wrong. Which explains why we didn't see any signs touting a wonder of the world. If anyone around us spoke English, I'm sure they thought we were delirious from the heat rambling about a wonder of the world. 

While it is not a wonder of the world, it is definitely impressive enough to be one. 

The first of the ruins was the Church of Mary. The sign described it as a small church with three pews. It was not small by any means. We couldn't find the pews, but we were able to see the alter, the aspersorium, and where they baptized people. The ornate decoration on the columns and tiles is amazingly well preserved and quite impressive. 

Next we saw some ancient mile markers that were used to tell the distance between important monuments and towns. The reining emperors name was below the distance/street name and when a new emperor took over they simply turned the marble blocks over. When they ran out of space they started writing in red. Amazingly we saw remnants of red paint on a few of the signs. 

Next we walked down a long columnated street to the city market. It was at one time a 2 story building with offices and shops lining the walls surrounding a massive open square. Today all that remains is one upper level shop and columns lining the market square. 

After the market we made it to the Library of Celsus. This was our favorite part of the town (Will took a liking to the latrine as well). The library once housed 12,000 ancient scrolls and had rooms for reading. Today the face of the library is all that still stands. It is a massive, marble masterpiece with status of the emperor and his family as well as elaborate decoration on every part of the library. 

Next we saw Hadrian's Temple and Hercules' Gate. The town was massive and neither of us can fathom how t was built. Everything was made of marble, elaborately decorated, and still in great shape. 

After we left Ephesus we went back to he camp ground to cool off. While flipping through Lonely Planet we realized that Ephesus is not a wonder of the world, the Temple of Artemis is the wonder of the world. So, we set out for the Temple of Artemis. We made it with 20 minutes before they shut the gates and it was free! For being a wonder of the world it was very poorly marked. We stumbled upon it while trying to read our map. After seeing Ephesus the temple was not nearly as impressive to me. Will enjoyed it a bit more. The Temple of Artemis was once a 127 column temple with a sunken alter for a wooden figure that was worshiped by a cult. Artemis was the goddess of Ephesus, thus the name. The temple was burned by an emperor who declared Christianity as the religion of the land and only 1 pillar stands today. The pillar is massive and you can see the base of many other pillars as well as parts of the ceiling. We're not quite sure what qualifies this as a wonder of the world, but it does eclipse the Acropolis in Greece, which is pretty impressive. I guess that qualifies it as a wonder. 

Cheers,

Katie and Will

Garden Camping

We found our promising campsite in Selcuk. It was great, quirky as all get out, but great. It was run by a woman and a man, whose relationship we're not certain about. We think they were both Italian given that they only spoke Italian and Turkish and were eager to know if we spoke Italian. Spoiler alert: we don't. We were still able to communicate with some work and secure our two nights of camping. We also had access to laundry, showers, and a kitchen with a fridge. Not too shabby. Here's where it starts to get quirky. 

That is the entrance to the campsite. It's not great, but you might be able to make out that the sign says swimming pool. The swimming pool is empty. The sign also says something about a co-op and organic food sales from the farm; nowhere to be found. We're not complaining, but the pool would have made this place perfection during the 100 degree heat.

The place looked like it was a party in its hay-day, like it has a ton of retroactive potential. The only way we've been able to describe it is a compound. a deserted but quaint, and at times beautiful compound. There was also a hotel run in conjunction with the camping but it was totally vacant. The first night there were two other couples camping and the second night we had the whole place to ourselves.

Above is our tent site and the view from our tent. That castle was a wicked cool view, but we couldn't figure out what it was. It wasn't listed in our guide book and it didn't seem to be accessible from town. But, nonetheless we had a fantastic view of a big ole' castle to wake up to.

Above are some pictures of the confused  compound.

And last but not least some shots of the lime and pomegranate trees that lined Garden Camping.

It was good to have some solitude for a couple of nights, but we were ready to say "Ciao" to our Italian friends and to the cooky place that Garden Camping is.

Cheers,

Will and Katie 

Turkish apricots in Turkey

We are currently at the end of a 9+ hour overnight bus ride from Istanbul to Izmir. From Izmir we will catch a smaller bus for a one hour ride to the town of Selcuk, which is located three kilometers from the ruins of Ephesus, one of the seven wonders of the world. Selcuk also offers a promising campground and access to beautiful beaches. We're excited to be out of the bustle of the city for now, especially after our experience catching the bus last night. The bus station was simply overrun. We were negotiating for inches to make it towards our indiscriminate bus. We're looking forward to a breath of fresh air.

The past two days we covered a lot of ground in Istanbul. We visited the cistern that at one time provided all the water to Istanbul, which was the capital of the Byzantine Empire. We also visited the Grand Bazaar, the Blue mosque, the Spice Bazaar and Taksim Square. We were awe-stricken, overwhelmed and underwhelmed by these well known sights in Istanbul.

The cistern was very impressive. It was all underground in a very dank environment. It was a magnificent array of marble pillars supporting this enormous space that used to be full of water. There was still shallow water, and there were plenty of fish swimming in it. A network of raised walkways has been added for tourists to navigate. 

The Grand Bazaar was not all that grand by our standards. It was full of new sights and smells, but those were countered by the bootleg purses, shoes and jerseys that one can come by in any major city. It was a sight not to be missed. It sure was grand in size, we got turned around multiple times, but that was the extent of the grandeur, not our cup of tea. We preferred the spice bazaar, which was much the same but full of perfumes, teas, spices and dried fruits. It seemed like a lot of locals were doing their shopping as well. We were eager to buy a snack sack of Turkish apricots because they're one of our favorite snacks, and, well, when in Rome, right?

The Blue Mosque was absolutely beautiful. It was gratifying to even be allowed entry in the visitors entrance. We had to take off our shoes and cover most  of our skin with scarves they handed out at the door. The stained glass windows and painted domed ceilings were gorgeous. Perhaps the most breathtaking view of the Mosque is from its outside. It almost looks unreal, like it's from a Disney movie, something a talented artist dreamt up.

Taksim Square was a little underwhelming. It was a long hike in the heat with our heavy packs to get there which might have tweaked our attitude towards it. We are glad to have seen it and the adjacent park because of their historical and recent relevance to Turkey as a whole.

Perhaps one of our favorite parts of the past two days was our dinner on the Bosphorous, a strait that splits Istanbul. We found cheap and delightful fish kebab, or a fish sandwich garnished with a tomato and cucumber salad, dressed up with some spices. The fish was caught right there, grilled right there and devoured right there by us.

We packed a lot into two days, but are glad to have done it all. We're looking forward to some rest and relaxation while camping and beaching, but there's still plenty to be seen within reach from Selcuk. We'll keep you posted on our adventures!

Cheers,

Katie and Will

Safe and sound in Istanbul

Katie and I are safe and sound in Istanbul , and this is the view from the terrace bar at our hostel located in the old part of the city.

We did some minor exploring this evening, but for now we're content and exhausted. More soon.

Cheers,

Will

Summer ends, ours begins!

After a less than relaxing summer full of summer school, nannying, farming, and cramming for the GRE (could have been fuller of the latter), it's time that we pack our bags and head yonder to Europe! Along with our clothes and personal items we have to leave ample space for our camping gear. We will be packing into two backpacking backpacks, literally living off our backs for the next two months. We've done a smart job of gearing up and paring down. We've acquired ultra light and compressible gear to save space and our backs as much as possible. We will be camping a lot, especially in the Mediterranean where it's very accessible. Camping is cheaper than alternatives, and, well, we enjoy it!  There's even one campground in Paris. Who'd have thunk it?

In shoestring-ing our trip together, we've purchased flights for our inter-European travel to create the skeleton of an itinerary. It will be our full-time job to fill in the gaps! We have several friends who have spent time in Europe this summer and some contacts and hosts on the ground. We're looking forward to checking out some of their suggestions and exploring for ourselves as well. We also have our trusty copy of Lonely Planet's Europe on a Shoestring, which is chock full of some of the best deals in Europe. It will be helpful in getting oriented, but we hope to color outside the Lonely Planet lines.

In about 24 hours' time we will board our first flight en route to our first stop in Istanbul, Turkey. Expect colorful pictures and descriptions in the near future!

Cheers,

Will