EXPLORING TURKEY: TRAVEL DIARY

9/9-28/2007


I have wanted to visit Turkey for a long time. It is supposed to be an interesting mix of the exotic East and modern West, and offers the architectural glory of Istanbul, unique rock pillars of Cappadocia , grandiose ruins of ancient civilizations, lovely coastal scenery, and friendly people. I have never met anyone who has not relished their visit to Turkey so here Sue and I finally go.

9/9-10 LEWISBURG-LONG BEACH-JFK-ISTANBUL

I awakened early to empty and clean the hot tub, and wash and vacuum the car. Nothing like doing things at the last minute! I took a longing look at our still resplendent garden and the fish merrily swimming in the pond, and then we set out on our drive to Long Beach, Long Island. Rt. 80 in PA is known for traffic delays, but we made the trip in near record time. We ate sandwiches and visited with, Sue’s brother, Barry and his wife, Nancy, on their deck overlooking the bay. Our taxi driver to the airport was fascinating. He has long, Rastafarian hair, and is articulate and opinionated. He is a jazz musician who has toured the world with various bands. We boarded the plane punctually, but sat for two hours on the runway awaiting our turn to take-off. I was reading an engrossing book so it didn’t really matter. Between the book and four hours of sleep, the 11 hour flight passed quickly.

We reached Istanbul airport at noon, and had to wait an hour for one couple to trace their lost baggage. We chatted with the other seven members of our group, and my first impression was positive. One confusing thing is that three women are named Susan. Our tourist bus drove us along the Sea of Marmara, full of ships, with islands and the Asian coast in the distance and a promenade and parks along the shore. Our Sultanahmet hotel has a perfect location. It lies in the heart of the old city district of Sultanahmet, across from the impressive Blue Mosque.

A half hour later, our trip leader, Selcuk, took us on a stroll around the neighborhood. We saw the majestic Blue Mosque with its six, towering minarets, and walked through a lovely park, with a large circular fountain at its center, to view the massive Hagia Sophia, a former church and mosque. We moved on to the Hippodrome, a large square, graced by a beautiful, ancient obelisk. The combination of mosques, churches and parks is splendid. The exotic atmosphere was reinforced by the sudden, loud call to prayer, with the muezzins from different mosques chanting their mournful melody. People streamed into the Blue Mosque to pray. We are fortunate to be here at Ramadan, which should enhance our experience of Muslim life.

We next walked to a nearby hotel and ascended to a rooftop restaurant and pavilion from where the entire city panorama unfolds. The amazing vista encompasses the entire Eski Istanbul (the old city), with its massive mosques and minarets piercing the sky; the three waterways, the Sea of Mamara, Golden Horn River, and Bosphorus Strait(running to the Black Sea); the chaotic ship traffic on the waterways, and the hilly Asian side, strewn with buildings, including some skyscrapers. Selcuk says there are 4,000 mosques in the city. He is a non-practicing, secular Muslim and is displeased with the current Islamic ruling party and the growing Islamification of society. In the evening, our bus took us to the huge Suleymaniye Mosque where we ate dinner in the former soup kitchen of the edifice. When we returned to the hotel, a few of us walked up to the park next to the Blue Mosque and observed the festive crowds celebrating the end of fast of Ramadan.

9/11 ISTANBUL

Sue and I slept soundly, unlike the majority of our group who either were jet lagged or rudely awakened at 5 AM by the shattering call to prayer. We ate a scrumptious buffet breakfast on the back patio of the hotel, with a splendid view of the Marmara sea. This hotel is a gem—“location, location” as Selcuk says, with traditional charm, and nice sea and mosque views.

We began a full day of exploration, seeing so many sites that it seemed like a three day tour wrapped into one. First, we visited the Hagia Sophia. This huge, triple domed, red ochre structure, originally was a church, and was completed in 537 A.D. It was a great wonder of the Byzantine world. After nearly a thousand years as a church, it became a mosque in 1453 when the Muslim Ottomans consolidated their rule over Asian Minor, including Istanbul. The ornate mosaic pictures of religious figures were removed by the Muslims who added their exquisite mosaic designs. In 1934, with the rise of Ataturk’s modernizing, secular state, the mosque became a museum and some of the Christian mosaics were restored. The interior of this edifice is cavernous, filled with Muslim and Christian architectural and artistic features in the main hall and side rooms.

Next, we stopped at the Turkish and Islamic Art Museum, located in a large, ornate, sixteenth century palace. It is filled with thirteenth century carpets, carved Koran cases, and manuscripts. There were too many carpets to hold my attention for long (although I would relish these treasures covering the floors of my house). Then, we explored the crowded Grand Bazaar, which Selcuk called the oldest indoor shopping mall in the world. Its myriad, arched passage-ways, many adorned with blue tile work, contain thousands of shops--crafts, rugs, pottery, jewelry, clothing and food. Many of the shop-keepers tried to lure us into their stores, with such lines as “how can I help you spend your money” or “sir, you forgot something, you forgot to look at my wares.” Ha Ha. Their approach is more hospitable than in the old city of Jerusalem where the merchants accosted me, practically dragging me into their stores.

We proceeded to a main shopping street, Divan Yolu, in Sultanahmet. Most of the group ate lunch at an informal Pudding Shop, a cafeteria-like restaurant. Sue and I had brought sandwiches made at breakfast; we sat on a bench in the shade of a nearby park and people-watched.

I have been surprised at how many of the women are wearing head scarves, as well as a loose covering or jacket to minimize their body curves. This clothing is often brightly colored and fashionable. At least the women are rarely in chadors as in Iran or veiled as in some Arab countries. Selcuk says that about 20% of urban female Turks are “traditionalists” and dress accordingly, making a public religious and political statement. At least in Sultanahmet, however, the percentage of traditionalists seems much larger. Since Turkey is ostensibly “secular,” women employed in public service or in education are prohibited from wearing head scarves. What bothers me, is that these women must represent Islamic tradition by dressing and acting in chaste ways while the males dress in “global” style. Given my belief in equality, what is desirable for the female should be the same for men. Let the men be cloaked too.

Next, we entered the Blue Mosque. Before coming to Turkey, I had thought the exterior of the mosque was blue. However, it is named for the blue Iznik tile work inside, and the design is intricate and beautiful. The mosque was constructed from 1609-16 and is splendid architecturally, especially its six, soaring minarets. During prayer time, the large interior hall is congested with worshippers, particularly during Ramadan.

By this time, in the late afternoon, our senses were getting dulled by the ambitious touring, but there was more to come. We drove to a ferry station and boarded a private ship, which took us on a ninety minute excursion up the Bosphorus. As the boat left the Golden Horn and entered the Bosphorus, we could look back at the marvelous sights of the city walls, palaces and mosques of the old city, see the Galata tower in the more modern, European section across the Golden Horn river, and gaze at the heavily built-up Asian area of the city on the east side of the Strait. The ship passed two major suspension bridges, as well as palaces, boat houses, restaurants, mosques, and wooden houses lining the shores. On the way back, we disembarked on the Asian side and ate dinner at a local kabob restaurant (no pork of course). Then we took a crowded local ferry back to the old city and a local bus toward our hotel. Sue, I, Pat and Ruth, then took a leisurely walk through the Blue Mosque area and long the busy Divan Yolu, soaking up the atmosphere. What a grand day of adventure in this fascinating city!

9/12 ISTANBUL

Today’s tour was as full and exciting as yesterday’s. We began at the nearby Topkapi Palace, which was the main palace of the Ottoman Sultans from 1459-1853. The Ottomans expanded across Anatolia in the early fourteenth century and founded their empire in 1453. This empire, with its capital in Istanbul, reached its pinnacle of power from 1520-1566 and ended after World War I. The sultans made the mistake of siding with Germany in that war and suffered grave consequences in the aftermath. The palace is a large complex, overlooking the Sea of Mamara and the Bosphorus. It contains lovely gardens, opulent living and ceremonial rooms, a harem section, a huge kitchen full of black cauldrons, a swimming pool, a circumcision room, and viewing platforms offering lovely vistas over the city and waterways. Many of the palace treasures, including gems and ceramics, are displayed in the rooms. It must have been very pleasant to be a Sultan or a member of the staff (except for the Janissary guards who were all murdered by the Sultan in 1826).

Afterwards, we walked to the old city cistern, aptly called "the Sunken Palace." It is a huge, carved out, underground edifice, with hundreds of large columns holding up the ceiling. It still contains water, as well as koi, and at one time supplied the water for the palace and Hagia Sophia. In one area lie two medusa heads, placed upside down as bases of the columns. The Christians regarded them as pagan symbols and used them as waste materials during the construction of the cistern, with no regard for their artistic value.

Next, we strolled through the exotic Spice Bazaar near the shore of the Golden Horn. It is located next to the massive, bustling Yeni Mosque and its two adjacent squares. The Bazaar is a warren of streets, one of them covered by an archway, jammed with shops of multi-colored spices, fish, food, sweets, crafts and antiques. Sue and I wandered through the crowded lanes, lingered in a park alongside the mosque, observing local life, and treated ourselves to delicious baklava and noodle-cheese pudding from a bakery recommended by Selcuk. Most of the women in this traditional market wore headscarves and cloaks.

Then, we drove across the Galata bridge into the newer city to reach the Military Museum. It contains many more “cutting weapons” and guns than I needed to see. We heard a half hour concert by the military band, which I’m afraid lulled me to sleep. From there we entered Beyoglu, the heart of the new city, and exited onto the huge, chaotic Taksim Square. It is not a pretty place, bisected by streets and bus lanes and surrounded by hotels, banks and fast food eateries, including my least favorite of the American fast food joints, Burger King. We took a trolley ride followed by a stroll down the up-scale, pedestrian Istiklal Street lined with fancy shops and restaurants. The crowds are decidedly “secular” with few head scarves to be seen, and the teenagers dress in global T shirts and jeans. It's good to explore the diverse aspects of the city--the old and the new.

From there we walked to the Galata Tower, the tallest structure in the world when it was constructed in 1348. In the past it served as a watch tower to observe the frequent fires in a city of mainly wooden buildings. From the top of the tower stretches a glorious 360 degree view of the sprawling city and its waterways, the skyline pierced by hundreds of minarets. Hunger pangs were growing as the evening approached. Selcuk took us to the fish market bazaar where we ate a delicious dinner. In this typical Turkish meal, the first course had a variety of appetizers--mixed salad, eggplant, potato salad, and abundant breads; the second course was grilled fish and potatoes; the dessert included fresh fruits. When we walked back to the bus, it was cool with sprinkles; I wished I had brought my jacket. Even the indefat-igable, Tom, was tired at the end of this long, adventurous day.

Our travel group of eleven members is diverse, compatible and interesting. Ann and Walter are from Louisiana. Ann is a retired professor of English and Walter a petroleum geologist. Two sisters are traveling together. Chris from California is a retired lawyer and Sue from North Carolina is still employed as a computer programmer. Nancy from Pennsylvania was a house-wife and now is an active volunteer and master gardener. Susan and Jim are from Washington. She was an event organizer for Boeing and now is a busy volunteer. He was an airforce pilot for twenty years and then a test pilot for Boeing. Until recently, he piloted a 737 owned by a wealthy Australian couple. Pat and Ruth from California have been close friends for forty years. Pat owned a florist shop for many years and is a master gardener; Ruth set up community educational and health programs and is a dedicated social activist, participating in civil disobedience protests. Tom's profile can be read at the beginning of this blog, and Sue was the executive director of two social service agencies, and in retirement is an active volunteer, serving as a board member and officer of several organizations. Our group ranges in age from 63 to 82.

Selcuk is a tall, intelligent, affable, and caring person. He lives in an apartment in middle class, Beyoglu. He attended a prestigious, American, church-related private school, Robert College. He was educated as a dentist, but after practicing this profession for only a few years he decided that guiding was more to his liking. He has been a guide for twenty years and has worked with GCT/OAT for the last thirteen years. So far I am impressed with the quality of his guiding; he is efficient, organized, dynamic, articulate and very knowledgeable about Turkey. As I mentioned earlier, he is a non-practicing, secular Muslim and a “modernist,” with a distaste for the current Islamic government.

9/13 ISTANBUL-KAYSERI-URGUP-UCHISAR

We had to awaken at 5:45 AM to make our 8:30 AM flight. The hotel even had our usual delicious breakfast buffet ready for us. I had a window seat on the plane, and could see the initial hilly terrain followed by flat plains covered with wheat fields and scattered villages. Near landing, a huge 12,000 foot gray volcano, Mount Erciyes, appeared on the horizon. We drove for ninety minutes through an arid plain to a small city, Nevsehir. Sue and I passed up the lunch at a restaurant and walked to a park where we sat among the locals and ate our sandwiches. I liked strolling through this “typical” rural city. The main street and sidewalks are paved with stones placed in a lovely pattern, and the shops are abundant and well stocked with goods. I have never seen so many banks and ATM machines on a single street. Most of the women had head scarves and in the park many of the older men wore prayer caps. On a hill above the town stands an old Ottoman fort.

Nearby, an abandoned village is situated along a hill. This village had been occupied by the former Greek minority population. Selcuk explained that in 1923 after the Greek-Turkish war, a huge population exchange occurred between the two countries. Under the supervision of the League of Nations, more than 1.5 million Christian Greeks who had lived for centuries in Turkey were uprooted from their homes and transferred to Greece and about a half million Muslim Turks from Greece came to Turkey. Since more Greeks departed than Turks entered the country, whole villages lay empty. We would see villages like this elsewhere in Turkey. How tragic it is that ethnic or religious groups who historically have lived peacefully together, are torn apart by political and military events and forced to separate. It seems that this migration did not have the sordid killings that occurred in Bosnia and Croatia, but it was bad enough. To this day, animosity lingers between the Greek and Turkish nations.

Next, we drove to Kaymakli, an underground city constructed during the Hittite period to protect the inhabitants from marauding armies. The Hittite empire dates back to eleventh century B.C. As many as a dozen of these cities were built, some inter-connected by passageways, each with a population of about 1-2,000 people. The cities were not permanently inhabited, but only used during periods of strife. We had to duck low to pass through the lanes that took us several stories below ground to carved out rooms used for living, sleeping, dining, cooking, storing wine, and so on, all ventilated by a huge air shaft. What remarkable engineering occurred so many thousands of years ago.

About a half hour later, the fantastic rock shapes of Cappadocia began to appear. The volcanic ash tufa rock of this region has been shaped over the eons by wind and rain into spires and columns, some of which were carved out by early Christians into homes, with multiple rooms, doors, windows and stables. The setting is surreal, unique and fascinating.

The bus stopped at a viewpoint that displays the town of Uchisar, its sand colored homes and mosques rising up a hill, peaked by a rock fortress. Selchuk promised that our hotel in Uchisar would again have “location, location” and so right he was. I was astounded by the view from the hotel veranda and our room balcony of the weirdly shaped tufa cones rising from the valley up to the hilltop. Many of these cones have windows, doors and porches carved out of the rock. I have never seen anything like this before. After getting settled into our charming room, Sue and I took a walk. We climbed about two hundred vertical feet to the summit of the hill above the town, called “the citadel,” where a striking 360 degree view unfolds of fertile valleys, canyons, rock formations, distant volcanoes, and small towns. The dinner at the hotel was delectable, consisting of varied appetizers, a main course, and tasty dessert.

9/14 UCHISAR/CAPPADOCIA

After a breakfast not nearly as varied or tasty as the one in Istanbul, our group strolled through the charming village of Uchisar. The streets are cobble-stoned and the homes are one or two storied and made of gray-brown brick. We visited the village elementary school and met a first-grade teacher; classes begin for the other grades on Monday. The side of town with the best views of the valley is being gentrified. A huge, luxury spa hotel is being constructed and older houses have been renovated by wealthy Turks and foreigners. I’m afraid that the locals of these exquisite towns will be pushed out or into the less desirable village locations by the money of wealthy people. When I mentioned this to Selcuk, his response was that the villagers like the tourism because it provides much needed jobs and revenue from tourist shops. This may be true, but his answer still partly begs the question.

In a discussion of economy on the bus, Selcuk remarked that a middle class family income in rural Turkey might be $6,000 a year and in Istanbul $15,000 a year. The minimum national wage is $3,600 a year. Even if villagers are only paid the minimum wage in the region’s hotels, if at least two family members are employed their combined income would approach a middle class level. That is good.

Selcuk’s excellent contacts enabled us to visit a home carved into a tufa cone. It consists of a quite modern kitchen, and a large all-purpose room, covered with carpets, which is used for dining, living, watching TV, and sleeping. The father is a stone mason; the mother stays at home and earns money selling lace and knitted goods she makes. They have two daughters, thirteen and eight, and a two year old son. We chatted and drank apple tea. We asked the mother whether her daughter would wear a head scarf. The mother replied that she had always worn a scarf and it was part of her, but that her daughter could make up her own mind. The daughter added that she did not plan to wear a scarf.

We next drove down the scenic valley filled with whimsical and beautiful rock formations. We hiked into a wondrous canyon, appropriately called “Love Valley” because many of the eroded rock pillars resemble large phalluses. The scenery reminded me of Bryce Canyon except that the coloration of Bryce is reddish pink in contrast to the gray and white hues here. I took loads of pictures of this marvelous place.

We ate a tasty lunch in the non-descript town of Avanos. The breads were almost two feet long and so tasty. Then, our group drove back up the hill to the Goreme “Open Air Museum,” composed of impressive rock formations, inside of which are some carved out ancient churches adorned with Byzantine period frescoes. Unfortunately, many of the frescoes were considered sacrilegious by early Muslims and defaced. Goreme village is built into the canyon walls and is charming, but very touristy and lacks the striking vistas of Uchisar.

After returning to Uchisar, Selcuk thoughtfully took Sue and me on a several mile hike from the town back to Goreme. The trail wanders through a lovely canyon studded with tufa pillars. In the early evening I hiked once again up to the Citadel to gaze at the views on this crystal clear day. There is a wonderful view of the 12,000 foot volcano, providing a dramatic backdrop for the verdant valley and its villages. The beauty of Cappadocia is glorious and may be exceeding my high expectations.

9/15 CAPPADOCIA

I was indifferent about the prospect of spending the morning at a carpet factory for, in Selcuk’s words, “another new learning experience.” However, it turned out much better than I had anticipated. I enjoyed the excellent explanation and demonstration of the carpet-making process. I was fascinated by the number of threads that could be pulled out of the small cocoon of a silk worm. The company works with 4,900 looms across Turkey. We observed some women deftly weaving at their looms in one of the rooms. The work looks very repetitive and tedious. The weavers supposedly earn more than the minimum wage (I could not find out how much), and receive free transportation, lunch, social security and day care from the company. The silk weavers, who have the highest skill and make more than a thousand knots in each square inch, earn the highest wage. I was surprised to learn that it takes six to eight months to weave a woolen rug and several years for a silk one.

After the demonstration, the group was shown a variety of beautiful carpets. As the rugs were rolled out on the floor I felt that we were in a museum. Of course, the purpose of this display was to entice us into buying rugs, and soon a salesman attached himself to each of us and the hard sell began. Sue and I hardly needed a new carpet. However, Sue fell in love with a six by eight woolen rug, with a pretty brown and golden pattern. I was astonished when I heard the price, and after even bargaining the cost down by a thousand dollars, an expensive new artifact was ours. It will be an attractive adornment in our living room, but I feel guilty paying so much for a luxurious, decorative object when the same amount could purchase a new water reclamation system for the Indian orphanage we support.

Afterwards, the bus stopped at another dramatic rock formation where I took a quick hike, and then we continued to the village of Urgup, built into the sides of still another dramatic canyon. We ate lunch in a restaurant carved into the canyon walls and walked through the quaint town, with many lovely, tufa rock homes, including garages, burrowed into the base of the cliffs. On the way back to Uchisar, we stopped briefly at “Fairy Chimney” to gaze at two high pillars with large rocks resting precariously on their tops. How these rocks got there is a mystery; they are natural but look like they were placed there by humans.

Back in Uchisar, Sue and I flirted with taking another hike but instead strolled through town with our buddies, Pat and Ruth, searching for lithium batteries and newspapers. On our way, the prayer calls blared out, and I decided to enter the mosque along with a crowd of gentlemen. About 130 men packed the small mosque, first praying on their own. Then, the Imam, dressed in a white robe and tall hat, led the congregation in prayers. The worshippers formed straight rows and alternately stood up, bowed, and prostrated themselves in the direction of Mecca while whispering their prayers, and then listened to a short sermon from the Imam. The entire service lasted about twenty minutes. Islam exacts such commitment and discipline from its faithful since they have to pray five times a day, including at 5 AM, and fast during the thirty days of Ramadan. The fundamentalist Muslim sects also seem to produce fanatics who can become terrorists and conduct indiscriminate violence contrary to Muslim principles. It certainly is not a religion for me, but then I am an agnostic who dislikes any religious ritual.

In the early evening Sue and I walked to a belvedere to enjoy the sunset. Dinner was a chicken and beef barbecue accompanied by drum and guitar music played by the owner’s sons and back massages given by Selcuk and me. After dinner, most of us snake-danced through the dining room. Sue and I skipped the optional whirling dervish show tonight. We saw dervishes in Jerusalem and the dancing quickly gets repetitive.


9/16 UCHISAR-KONYA-BUDAK

The day began with a visit to a pottery factory in Avanos. We saw a demonstration of pottery-making by a skilled artisan, followed, of course, by time for “shopping.” One showroom was for ordinary pottery and the other for more unique, sophisticated pieces.
Sue and I bought a dish from each room. One has an exquisite, intricate, blue and white Ottoman design and will be a great addition to our plate collection.

Next, we traveled a long, tedious four hours through a flat, high plain with cut wheat in the fields. Much of this time I read an interesting memoir by Orphan Pamuk about growing up in Istanbul. More about this book later. We finally reached Konya, a sprawling city of one million people. Like other Turkish cities I’ve seen, it appears fairly prosperous, with substantial areas of attractive private apartments and homes and a clean downtown filled with bustling crowds and shops. It is an industrial center, manufacturing diverse products for export and has a large university.

In general, Turkey is more highly “developed” and wealthy than I had anticipated. I have yet to see any forlorn slums although they surely must exist. However, there are no shantytowns that plague even the more “advanced” South American cities like Rio or Buenos Aires. Turkey makes India look like an economic backwater, and a filthy one at that. However, I would like to compare the regions we have visited with eastern, Kurdish Turkey, which is supposed to be much poorer and neglected by the government.

We ate lunch in a charming restaurant in a village on a hill above Konya. As we observed in other towns, nearly every village home has a solar heating unit and satellite dish on the roof. Selcuk proudly remarked that all villages in Turkey are electrified and even the poorest households have a telephone and television.

In downtown Konya, we visited the Dervish Museum, housed in a lovely mosque and surrounded by a park on one side and a huge cemetery on the other. The museum contains artifacts related to the Sufi community. I didn’t stay there long; I was more interested in walking the nearby streets to observe the people and in wandering through the interesting cemetery. The cemetery has a park- like setting, with concrete tombstones covered with Arabic writing and the birth and death dates of the deceased.

Then it was back to the bus for another several hour journey, this time through a prettier landscape of rolling hills, fields and villages. It was not until 6:30 PM that we arrived at Budak, a small village of several streets, modest homes, a mosque and an elementary school, situated among bountiful agricultural fields near the large Lake Beysehir.

We entered the courtyard of the extended farming family with whom we would be spending the night. The family compound consists of three houses, the original old home and two newer ones, a vegetable garden and small orchard. Four generations dwell here: the grandparents, eighty-six and eighty-four years old, the parents, fifty-one and forty-nine, their two sons, twenty-five and twenty-one, their wives of about the same age, and a three and a half year old child, the “queen” of the household. With the exception of the young wives, the others look at least ten years older than they are. Ruth at eighty-two appears girlish compared to the wrinkled grandmother who is only a little older.

The boys are fishermen and farmers, and the father has a business selling fish to factories for export to Europe. Unfortunately, environmental changes have depleted the rainfall, causing the lake to shrink and lowering the fish catch. As a result, the family has to rely more on farming for its income. They sell crops and calves to the market and grow much of their own food. The family seems to be fairly well off, aided to some degree by the funds it receives from OAT for its services. A comfortable new house, in which Sue and I stayed, has been constructed by an uncle, the kitchen of the main house has a new frig and stove, and one of the sons is building a large home that he proudly announced will have central heating.

The educational level of the family is modest. The parents have a fifth grade education, their sons graduated high school, and the daughters-in law have a fifth and eight grade education respectively. Selcuk says that without a university education, the boys will have little choice but to stay in the village and farm and fish. University tuition is free, as it is in most industrial countries, with the exception of the United States. However, one must pass a stiff exam to gain admission. One of the boys failed this exam so according to Selcuk, he is stuck. With all the industry in Konya, I don’t understand why village youths couldn’t get jobs in these factories to improve their income.

Group members asked the family plenty of questions, with Selcuk doing the translation. The daughters-in-law said that brides are given ample jewelry at their weddings; they were wearing some of this jewelry, including gold necklaces and bracelets. The father remarked that village life has improved over the last twenty years, with better roads, education and health care. The village has a health clinic staffed by a nurse and is visited twice a week by a doctor. A large hospital is available in Beysehir, a small city eight miles away. This city also contains several high schools that village teenagers can attend.

The sons both own motorized fishing boats. They set their nets in the evening and pull them up in the early morning so the farming is done in the afternoon. They toil long hours in the sun, which is why their faces are so weathered and aging fast. In the winter the boys “sleep a lot,” which their wives said they deserve because they otherwise work so hard. The young wives help the mother tend the house and garden. The grandmother said she spends a lot of time with her pets—cats, chickens and pigeons.

Soon after we arrived, the family broke the Ramadan fast, sitting in a circle on the kitchen floor and eating supper. Then, they served us a delicious, filling dinner at a long dining room table. The OAT booklet said we would be sleeping on futons, several people to a room. However, each couple had their own room and Sue and I slept on quite comfortable beds. One group member said she had been dreading this home stay, but she was pleasantly surprised at the relative comfort of the accomodations.


9/17 BUDAK-ANTALYA

Sue and I awakened at 6:00 AM so that we would have enough time to walk to the lake. As the sun rose over the hills we reached the water. Although the lake has noticeably receded, it still is huge and is backed by high mountains to the south-west. We saw the family’s boys ride to the lake on their bicycles and put one of their motor-boats into the water to pull up their nets. A husband and wife drove in their tractor to the lake and took their boat out too.

Pat and Ruth met us at the lake. Although I like everyone in the group, Sue and I have formed a special bond with these two women based on similar temperament, values, interests, and I suppose even Jewish heritage. We also have a lot in common with Chris who is feisty, stimulating and liberal, and lived for nearly a year in New Delhi in the mid 1960s.

After breakfast served by the family, we said our fond farewells and presented our gifts. The young wives seemed to appreciate our gift of an apron with a picture of Lewisburg. The mother good-humoredly remarked that she would not wear the apron because with two daughters-in-law in the home, her cooking days were past. The family seemed delighted with the digital camera donated by Chris. I am so glad to have had the opportunity to meet the family and spend time in a rural Turkish village.

Our group strolled through the village lanes to an elementary school. The school has three teachers and twenty pupils from kindergarten through fifth grade. The school house is in good shape and includes a room of computers provided by the GCT Foundation. The students wore the typical grade-school uniforms of blue frocks with a white collar, and were eager to be photographed.

The bus then drove us to the small city of Beysehir where we visited a mosque. It has ornate carvings around the front door and a beautiful interior with cedar columns, latticed wooden prayer platforms, and an exquisite tile decorated prayer wall. We met the Imam, a rather young man who was attired in western dress of a sport shirt and slacks and had a cell phone attached to his belt. He has been the Imam of this mosque for eight years. Like all Imams, he was trained in a technical school and is a civil servant, employed by the state. He leads the services, gives sermons, counsels parishioners, and sometimes does the call to prayer. In his rich voice, he chanted the prayer call for us. His appearance and demeanor defied the stereotype of an imam for many of us; I had expected him to have a long beard and to be clothed in a white cloak and top hat. It seems curious for Turkey to call itself a “secular” state when the Imams are civil servants. However, I suppose this status gives the state some control over their activities.

Next, Selcuk provided us with another one of his “special learning opportunities.” We drove into the countryside to an ancient Hittite site — a pond encased in stone and backed by a carved wall with statues of animals. Nearby are farm houses and an old water wheel. I like this rustic place.

Then, we rode for about four hours across the plain and into the Taurus mountains, rising as high as nine thousand feet. They are heavily forested to the tree line at about 7,000 feet, with gray rocky crags above this height. After crossing a pass at 6,500 feet the road slowly descends to the coast. The coastal road is something of a congested strip and took us to our next stop at Aspendos. Aspendos contains one of the three largest Roman amphitheaters in the world, the other two being in Orange (France) and Libya. The impressive theater is almost perfectly preserved and seats fifteen thousand people. Of course I scrambled up to the top of the structure to enjoy the full view.

At long last, we reached Antalya. not the quaint seaside town I had envisioned, but a substantial city of seven hundred thousand. However, it has a small, charming old city lying between the blue sea and the city walls and a magnificent mountain backdrop to the north. We walked through the winding lanes of the old city to our elegant hotel, the Marina, located in three restored buildings of a former villa. We lucked out with our room, which has a splendid view of the harbor, sea and mountains. After unpacking our suitcases, Sue and I strolled along the quaint cobble-stoned lanes and down to the harbor full of yachts. I had time for a swim in the pleasant hotel pool before our delicious dinner in an outdoor sunken dining room.

Sue and I had a long, interesting conversation at dinner with Walter and Ann about school integration in Louisiana and the stance of their Episcopal church on gay clergy. Their sons were educated in the newly integrated schools but faced so many difficulties from the changing busing plans and school locations that Walter helped establish a private school to which they transferred. They took a progressive position on gay clergy; Walter expressed the belief that God should extend his love to everyone. Good for him! Just as many of us had stereotypes about Imams so do American northerners and southerners often have stereotypes about one another. Maybe it was coincidence, but the people Sue and I have liked least on previous trips generally have been southerners. On our Tanzania safari, two couples from rural Alabama were aloof and looked at the eastern and Californian group members with suspicion. A man from Houston was an obnoxious boor. In contrast, I like and respect Ann and Walter, even though we have differences that may be based on regional culture.

9/18 ANTALYA

The breakfast buffet at the Marina rivals that of the Sultanahmet. What a great way to start the day! Selcuk took us on a walking tour through the old city. I like the high ramparts, narrow streets, renovated traditional homes, funky shops, and sea views of the old city. Once we exited the old city gate through the walls, the charm of Antalya faded, and we walked along a crowded, ordinary street to meet our bus.

The bus took us to the ruins of the Roman city of Perge. I was astonished by the splendor of the ruins. Hundreds of columns stand, some of them along the central paved street, which is bisected by a stone lined canal bringing water from an aqueduct originating in the mountains. There is a large nyphamaneum (baths) divided into cold, warm and hot water chambers heated by an elaborate system. The Romans were masterful architects and engineers.

We returned to Antalya to visit the archaeological museum, which won an award as the best museum in the world in 1998. It displays an excellent collection of Roman statues and sarcophagi gathered from Perge and other sites along the Mediterranean. Across the street is a park, providing a perfect view of the pebble Antalya beach stretching for miles toward a jagged mountain range.

Next, we visited a large modern shopping mall to see a very modern aspect of Turkey. We ate lunch there at a food court, with a mix of Turkish and American fast food restaurants. Surprisingly there is no Chinese food. We wandered through a huge store, reminiscent of a Super-Walmart, with the requisite food, clothing, furniture and electronic sections. The store is more attractive and efficient and has better merchandise than the Lewisburg Walmart. Turkey may be a Moslem country, but unlike traditional Pennsylvania, liquor is sold in the supermarket rather than in archaic state stores. In this respect, Turkey is more “modern” than Pennsylvania.

By mid-afternoon we returned to the hotel. Sue took a nap while I swam at a nearby private beach. The water is crystal clear, even in the middle of the city. Afterward, I climbed up a steep street to a large park on the bluff above the old city and discovered that a break the fast Ramadan celebration would occur there in the evening. Seven of us ate dinner at a restaurant overlooking the sea and enjoyed the sunset and food. About 7 PM we heard a loud blast and I feared a terrorist bomb had been set off. Thankfully, it was a cannon shot to signify the end of the Ramadan fast.

In the dark, Sue, I, Pat, Ruth, Jim and Susan walked up to the park. The entertainment on the stage included a puppet show, folk dancing and a folk concert by an excellent band and vocalist. The large crowd was in gay spirits, singing the tunes, cheering and clapping, and groups spontaneously formed circles to dance. Ruth, Pat, Sue and I joined the dancers and found that the steps are similar to the hora. What a perfect ending to a diverse, fulfilling day.

9/19 ANTALYA-MYRA-FETHIYE

This trip has been so diverse — the urban, exotic Istanbul, the rural villages and rock spires of Cappadocia, the farm house stay, the sophisticated coastal resort of Antalya, and now, a four day cruise along the famous Turquoise Coast. The road north of Antalya climbed up the sculpted mountains and then dropped to the coast. The scenery is attractive, but not as beautiful as the Dalmatian coast of Croatia and Montenegro. There, the road hugs the coast, rising and dipping along a magnificent coastline with dramatic mountains to the east and numerous lovely islands dotting the sea.

Our first stop was at the town of Myra where we visited the Lycian ruins. This site is quite impressive, with burial chambers cut into the cliffs, a large, intact amphitheater, and intricate rock cut masks and faces. Each of the numerous Lycian villages contained about five thousand inhabitants. The civilization was known for its wealth, lovely towns, naval power and military prowess. Myra was a major port between Rome, Eastern Europe and Jerusalem and was where Roman slaves from the Middle East changed ships on their way to Rome.

Our next destination was the unremarkable Church of St. Nicholas in Demre. The church is dedicated to the fourth century local bishop, Saint Nicholas, who was known for his generosity to children. Since he lavished gifts on the local children, he became the symbolic model of Santa Claus. He is sacred to the Russian orthodox, and many Russians were praying at his tomb.

Soon after we boarded a private boat, which took into beautiful Simena Bay. I sat on the open front deck and gazed reverently at the blue sea, mountains and islands. The ship anchored by a peninsula where the hardier of us hiked up to a crusader castle offering a gorgeous view of the coast, small islands and touring boats. We reboarded the vessel, which took us across the channel to an island where the remnants of a town could be seen beneath the sea.

The ship cruised to the port of Fethiye where our gulet was awaiting us. It was obvious that Selcuk was surprised to see our boat; he had expected a different one and did not know the layout of the ship nor the captain or the crew. On first impression the gulet looked nice enough. The back of the boat has a long couch and huge dining table; the front of the ship is spacious with ample sitting areas; the staterooms and private bathrooms are snug but seem adequate. The double bed will be small for sleeping and the mattress is lumpy, however. We will stay overnight in the port and begin the cruise in the morning. The weather forecast is promising—sunny and calm winds, which should make the cruise comfortable for Sue. It is this portion of the trip about which she was concerned since she has a tendency toward motion sickness.

9/20 FETHIYE BAY

I slept decently in the cabin until about 2:30 AM when Sue said she felt claustrophobic in her position again the wall and asked if I would shift sides with her. I did that but couldn’t get back to sleep. So I decided to try sleeping on a futon on the front deck and slept well there until 7:30 AM. Indeed, I think I will sleep there in the cool, fresh air from now on.

By the time the captain bought groceries and stocked up, it was 10:00 AM before we departed. We motored a couple of hours around a peninsula into a beautiful horseshoe bay lined by mountains. One of the peaks, Mount Baba, soars to about 6,400 feet above the sea. We lazily relaxed much of the day in a lovely cove. After lunch I swam from the boat to a pebble beach, walked up the shaded hill to a vista into another cove, and then swam back to the gulet. It’s a pleasure to swim these long distances in the clear, tepid water. I read on the front deck and took a brief nap.

In the late afternoon, most of us took the dingy to the nearby Gemile Island. We hiked up a three hundred foot vertical to its summit, passing fairly well preserved remains of cisterns, churches and homes of an ancient civilization. A splendid view of the surrounding mountains, bays, coves and sea awaited us. The scenery here does rival the Dalmatian coast. The major difference is that the Dalmatian coastal and island villages, such as Hvar, Korcula and Kotor are gems of 15-17th century Venetian architecture while the Turkish towns are new and made of unattractive, functional concrete. The Italian Amalfi and Cinqueterra coasts, too, not only have lovely scenery, but are blessed with exquisite towns like Positano and Portofino.

Damn. The Boston Red Sox keep losing and I wouldn’t be surprised if they lose the pennant to those “evil” Yankees. Oh well, there are more important things to be disappointed about.


9/21 FETHIYE BAY-GOCEK BAY

Today was one of the more pleasurable of any of my trips, not in a cultural way, but for a combination of scenery, activity and relaxation. That’s saying a lot!! After breakfast the dingy transported us to a nearby beach, and a van drove us into the mountains to the abandoned Greek town of Kayakoy. It is another casualty of the tragic population exchange of Turkish Greeks and Greek Turks in 1923. The town rises up a hill and most of the homes have collapsed. We hiked through this ghost town to the top of the hill and then down the other side of the mountain through a juniper forest to the sea. I swam back to the boat in the cool water and played in the water alongside the gulet. Swimming in the open sea instead of the confined Bucknell pool is such a pleasure.

After a filling lunch, the gulet cruised for two hours along the coast and entered a narrow strait between two islands into Gocek Bay. This bay has the best scenery yet. It is surrounded by forested hills and granite mountains rising to six thousand feet, and contains twelve small islands. The ship anchored in a cove, and once again it was time for swimming, snorkeling and kayaking. Actually, the snorkeling is disappointing. The salinity of the water causes a lack of plankton, which in turn reduces the number of fish. Ruth and I paddled the kayak quite a distance past a promontory that enabled us to see into a new cove.

In the late afternoon, Selcuk, Jim, Susan, Sue and I began a hike. We trekked up a hill through olive groves and fir trees to a craggy viewpoint with a gorgeous vista of the wide bay, islands, coves and distant peaks. The path continued on the level for a couple of miles along a bluff with continuous views. We spied our boat motoring along the coast to meet us at our destination. After two hours of hiking and after sunset, we reached a new cove where the dingy took us back to the ship. This hike was my favorite of the trip.

After a delicious dinner, we all lingered at the table and talked about our unique travel experiences and when our ancestors reached America. Nancy’s ancestors arrived the earliest, in 1740 from Switzerland. They were Mennonites fleeing from persecution and settled in Lancaster County of Pennsylvania. Nancy has traveled widely alone since her husband died quite young and is faring very well. Selcuk and I also moved around the table giving everyone a brief back massage.

9/22 GOCEK BAY

Even though I slept on deck again, I apparently got a lot more sleep than most group members. Ruth and Walter lamented that they slept only a few hours. I was ambivalent about taking the scheduled hike this morning, but Sue wanted to go so I tagged along. Along with Selcuk, Jim and Susan, we initially climbed a hill through a pine forest to a belvedere with a lovely view of the sea. The path then ascended a ridge above a deep canyon rimmed with cliffs to another vista. The route shifted to a dry, stony plateau where a farm is situated. The farm house consists of a smoky main room used for cooking and sleeping, and an outside porch with seats lined with carpets. The wife was cooking bread over a fire in the central room. Electricity must come from a generator and a satellite dish enables them to watch television. The family raises goats and a small garden provides some vegetables. The family warmly greeted Selcuk who must bring all of his groups here. Susan (Jim’s spouse, who likes to shop), bought some artifacts on sale there.

On the hilltop above the farm stand the ruins of a small Roman town. It is unexcavated and the ground is covered with a jumble of columns and bricks. The only partly intact structures are a large cistern and arched walls of an ancient building. We then descended the hill to a pebble beach. I stayed on the beach while the dingy took the others back to the gulet. I swam along the sides of the cove, hoping to see some fish but they were scarce once again.

After lunch on board, the ship cruised through Gocek Bay to the town of Gocek. It’s a pleasant, modern, up-scale resort with fountains on its plazas and plenty of shops catering to tourists. Sue and I spent the entire time there at an internet café, catching up on emails and world news. The gulet then took us to a sheltered cove amidst lovely sea and mountain scenery to spend the night. After dinner we all chatted again, this time about the source of our last names.

In the Turkish paper I read about the harsh effects of the national law, 301, which prohibits any Turk from “insulting” the honor of the country. A university student was indicted for “insulting” the state by refusing to shake the hand of a governmental minister. Pamuk, the famous Turkish author, was charged with “insulting” the state when he claimed that a million Armenians died during their expulsion from Turkey in 1915. This charge was dropped in 2006, saving Turkey from further embarrassment. The law clearly violates the civil liberties of freedom of speech and press and is a source of friction between Turkey and the European Union.

The issue of the Armenians also remains controversial in Turkey. The Armenians were accused of siding with the Russians during the bloody Russo-Turkish war. The war went badly for the Turks and the Armenians became the scapegoats. They were expelled from Turkey, rudely uprooted from their homes and land, and forced to march to Armenia. The Armenians contend that more than a million Armenians died during their expulsion and that the Turkish act was genocide. The Turkish government denies the holocaust charge, insisting that the Armenians have grossly inflated the death toll and that most of the deaths were caused by economic privation and the ravages of civil war. Only a week after the end of the trip, a committee of the US House of Representatives passed a resolution accusing the Turks of genocide against the Armenians, causing a row between Turkey and the US.

9/23 GOCEK BAY

I briefly awakened at 5:30 AM to notice that the gulet was departing for a three hour cruise to Semizca Bay, and then fell back to sleep. I prefer sleeping outside. The room is stuffy and sometimes has a slight odor. After a delicious breakfast of French toast, we boarded a small boat that took us to Iztuzu Beach, a mile long stretch of tawny sand. I wish we had enough time to stay there for a while to swim in the surf or walk along the beach, but only ten minutes were allotted. In August and December turtles supposedly crawl up the beach to lay their eggs but we weren't there at the right time for that.

The same boat then cruised up the Daylan River, which is lined with tall reeds and backed by attractive mountains, some heavily forested and others with gray cliffs. We stopped at the remains of a substantial Roman city set in a pristine location with a crenellated fortress wall above on a hill top and a spacious amphitheater below. We reboarded the ship to travel to a posh resort for lunch. The resort has an impressive setting along the river with burial tombs carved into a cliff across the water. I delayed lunch to take a refreshing swim in the huge pool. At lunch, a couple from a nearby table walked over and greeted Sue and me. I was astonished to see that they were acquaintances from Lewisburg, Sue and Joe, who are traveling with a group of Joe’s former roommates from Yale on an annual reunion. What a coincidence!

Upon return to the gulet, thunder clouds began forming and the wind whipped up. The captain decided to postpone the scheduled two and a half hour cruise toward Marmaris due to the prospect of rough seas. Instead, the boat anchored in a lovely protected cove where I swam until enough thunder claps convinced me to get out. Speaking of the captain, he is gruff and unfriendly, and I do not like him. He has told others that he is married but his wife is frightened of the sea and won’t accompany him on his voyages. The rather attractive cook, at least twenty-five years younger than he, appears to be his girlfriend. The crew is pleasant enough. One of them, Genghis, seems to do the bulk of the work and another seems lazy and irresponsible. The crew washed our linens this morning and had to be reminded by Selcuk to return them to our rooms, not a good thing. Also, the crew insists on smoking, sometimes when we are nearby. I had to ask them to restrict their smoking, and the captain seemed to resent my request. I also have noticed that the crew has orange juice for breakfast but we don’t get any juice at all. Whose trip is this, anyway?

The thunderstorm never materialized. At dusk the drinkers in our group were enjoying their daily cocktails. I can enjoy a gin and tonic or banana daquiri now and then, but generally I do not drink alcohol, not even wine. Liquor usually makes me dizzy and muddle-headed, and I don’t need it to relax or to have a good time. Instead of being gregarious, I sat on the front of deck absorbing the beautiful amphitheater of mountains and hills and trying to memorize their forms. Mountains are my “Gods” and I never tire of gazing reverently at them. I would much rather pray five times a day to the mountains than to some abstract God.


9/23 MARMARIS-KUSADASI

The gulet began its journey to our final port, Marmaris, at dawn. I sat on the front deck, savoring the orange-yellow sun slowly rising above the hills, turning the mountains and rocky bluffs, a brilliant golden hue. The scenery on this final stage of our boat trip remained pleasing to the eyes.

The four day cruise has largely met my expectations. I have enjoyed our exploration of the coastline, viewing the contours of the hills, mountains and the few towering peaks, swimming in the placid coves, and hiking through pine forests to lovely belvederes. The Turquoise coast is pretty, indeed, but the Dalmatian coast, on the whole, is even more scenic. The gulet has a good deck layout; the rooms are snug but adequate; the meals are filling and delicious. What I did not like was the grumpy captain and the fact that the water ran out the last night, with the captain unfairly trying to blame the passengers for that. The captain complained to Jim that OAT’s standards are too high. That’s ridiculous. Selcuk said this boat was a last minute substitute for the normal one, and that he will recommend it not be used again. I agree.

Marmaris is a sizeable port town that hosts a huge fleet of gulets and yachts, and its setting is attractive. We didn’t stay there long. The five hour bus ride to Kusadasi climbed into the mountains and descended to the coast, but the scenery was nothing special. Selcuk provided us with another “learning adventure” when we visited the dramatic Apollo Temple site in a non-descript town. The temple has a large columned arch, massive column bases and some lovely bas-reliefs. It was well-worth exploring.

We finally reached the seaside resort city of Kusadasi, set on the Aegean Sea, with a wide, horseshoe backdrop of hills and small mountains. Like the other Turkish coastal cities, the buildings are made of concrete and have little architectural interest. Our boutique hotel, the Kismet, is situated on a promontary above the port and ocean. It contains lovely gardens overlooking the bay and a huge swimming pool. It has housed many rich and famous guests, including Presidents Carter and Clinton, Queen Elizabeth, and other European royalty. Our room is splendid, a mini-suite with a verandah overlooking the sea and hills. Walter and Ann appropriately received an upgraded room to compensate for their bad luck of having the least commodious room on the gulet.

9/25 KUSADASI-EPHESUS

I have been looking forward to visiting Ephesus. My friend, Ron, likes it so much that he said it takes a full day to explore it. I was surprised when Selcuk and Pat commented that two hours would be sufficient, but they were right. At first glance I was disappointed and thought Perge was more interesting. However, Ephesus grew on me as we walked down the colonnaded central street. We reached a lovely vaulted entrance to Hadrian's temple with fine carvings and then the even more impressive, partly restored entry to the Library of Celsus. This façade is several stories high, with tall columns and decorative lentels over the windows and portico. Just beyond lies a huge amphitheater holding twenty-five thousand spectators. Ephesus was quite crowded since it is a major tourist attraction, and large numbers of cruise ship travelers go there.

Afterward, we drove to the town of Selcuk to visit a museum, full of colossal statues and other artifacts found in the excavations of Ephesus. I strolled along nearby streets and came to a middle school where I took some great pictures of school children. We also walked through the uninteresting ruin of St. John’s church. At least its setting was pretty, on a hill overlooking the verdant valley thick with citrus crops and with a dramatic-looking castle perched on a nearby hill.

Next, we drove through the countryside to a former Greek town, now inhabited by Turks. This town is the most charming of any on the trip. It has white houses, with brown wooden window frames and doors, and narrow cobblestone streets rising up a hill. Sue, Ruth, Pat and I climbed up one of these winding lanes into the upper town and ate lunch on the verandah of a quaint restaurant with a picturesque view. This village has whetted my appetite for an excursion to more of the Greek Islands, which should occur in the next few years. We returned to the Kismet hotel where I swam in the pool and sat with Sue on our balcony, listening to the waves slap against the rocky coast and admiring the view. In the early evening, the entire group met for cocktails at the outdoor bar overlooking the port and ate a delicious buffet dinner. We got to bed early because we had to awaken before dawn to drive to the airport at Izmir to fly to Istanbul.

Speaking of Istanbul, let me recount main themes of the book by Orphan Pamuk about this city. I just finished reading it. He thinks of Istanbul as a “melancholy” city of “black and white.” He says that it reached its pinnacle of power and prosperity during the Ottoman empire of the eighteen and nineteenth centuries and has been declining ever since. The decay was accelerated during the twentieth century by the collapse of the Ottoman empire after World War One, the costly, bloody wars with Greece, Russia, and the First World War, growing population pressure, inept government and rampant pollution. He laments the burning or decay of the wooden houses, grand villas and palaces, the departure of the significant Armenian, Greek and Jewish minorities, and the growing slums and impoverishment of areas of the city.

He describes features that fascinated nineteenth century European writers about the city--the rituals of the Ottoman Sultans and royal family, the harem, the Janissary guards, the wearing of the fez and veil, and the grand mosques and minarets. With the exception of the latter, all of these things disappeared after Ataturk came to power in 1923 and initiated his “modernizing” revolution. The aftermath of this revolution was an
intense nationalism and Turkification, making the country a homogeneous nation. However, the loss of ethnic, cultural and religious diversity has diminished the creative vitality of the country.

He claims that Istanbullas, like himself, are ambivalent about the loss of their exotic past and shift to Western values, attitudes and institutions. As post-colonial writers lament, he says that Istanbullas have become infatuated with everything western—the architecture, dress, education, conspicuous consumption, music, art, literature and so on, and deprecate much of their past tradition. Pamuk himself, given his upper-middle class background and his education at an elite American school (the same one as Selcuk), is western in most respects, but feels some longing for the past. I am looking forward to returning to Istanbul and exploring some of the neighborhoods and sites mentioned in the book. I’m glad Sue and I are taking the post-trip, which will give us three more days to soak up the atmosphere of this fascinating city. It will be interesting to see if I agree with Pamuk in his assessment of Istanbul.

9/26 ISTANBUL

At the Istanbul airport we bid farewell to the departing members of our group — Jim, Susan, Chris, Susan and Nancy. I like these people and will miss them. Accompanied by Selcuk, Sue, I, Pat, Ruth, Ann and Walter set out on another ambitious exploration of new sites in Istanbul. We drove along the ancient city walls, over four miles long, and crossed the busy Galata bridge on our way to Dolmabahce Palace. This palace was the residence of the last six sultans. It shows how the westernizing Sultans sought to ape European architecture and design. It is baroque with an ornate exterior and interior. Its rooms are huge, decorated in European style and graced with large chandeliers and period furniture. It sits on the bank of the Bosphorus with lovely water views from its gardens.

Next, we visited a synagogue and its Jewish museum. Istanbul had a large Jewish community, many of them Sephardim who fled from the Spanish Inquisition. The museum depicts how the Jews were welcomed into the Ottoman empire and easily assimilated into society. They contributed significantly to Turkish life as academics, musicians, artists, journalists, financiers and merchants. After lunch in a restaurant overlooking the Golden Horn, we proceeded to the Museum of Modern Art, located in
an old factory on the Bosphorous shore. Its permanent collection of Turkish art is impressive.

The best was yet to come. In the evening, Sue, I, Pat and Ruth strolled to the Blue Mosque and Hippodrome area, which was packed with Istanbullas celebrating the Ramadan end of fast. Almost every inch of grass was covered by family groups who were sitting on blankets laden with food and coffee samovars, awaiting the sunset prayer call to indicate the end of fast. As the cry of the muezzins echoed throughout the city, the families began devouring their picnic dinners. We walked through the Blue Mosque area, thick with parishioners and through the Ramadan bazaar in the Hippodrome thronged with people sitting in the kebab restaurants or buying food at the many temporary shops — coffee, pastry, ice cream, candy, corn on the cob, baked potato, and so on. There was a carnival atmosphere and we loved it. We ate in one of the restaurants, munching cheese crepes and watching the diners socializing and smoking water pipes. It was interesting to see ostensibly traditional women in head scarves and cloaks smoking cigarettes or water pipes. On our way back to the hotel we passed a huge outdoor café where the people were clapping and dancing to the melody of a traditional band and vocalist. This evening was one of the more interesting cultural experiences I have had.

Ironically, Selcuk is not pleased with this spectacle. He thinks this Ramadan celebration is tacky, over-commercialized, and sacrilegious, and doesn’t belong in the sacred mosque and hippodrome area. He doesn’t mind a Ramadan festival but would prefer that it occur in a park as it did in Antalya. I can see his point to an extent. However, much of this festival is located in a park, which is what the Hippodrome is now. Also, many of the celebrants also spend part of their time praying in the Blue Mosque. Selcuk commented that I liked this experience so much because I was a tourist. However, it seems to me that tens of thousands of Istanbullas were enjoying the festival as well. Still, I should mention that plenty of Istanbullas, particularly the middle and upper classes who are secular, would not want to attend this festival. For example, the Turkish family of the husband of Pat’s American friend never go to Sultanahmet. They prefer to interact with their secular friends in the up-scale areas of Baghdad Avenue and Beyoglu.

What concerns me about this festival, is the large number of women wearing head scarves and traditional body coverings. At least this clothing is often multi-colored, and sometimes a fashion statement, unlike the drab, black chadors required of Iranian women, or even worse, the veiled burkas of women in traditional Arab countries like Saudi Arabia. Not only are these burkas uncomfortable, but they are the worst representation of patriarchal gender inequality of the Muslim fundamentalist tradition. I am concerned that the National Islamic party that forms the current Turkish government is encouraging a creeping Islamification of Turkish society, reinforcing a “clash of civilizations” not only among modernists and traditionalists in Turkey but also between the Judeo-Christian and Islamic worlds. Selcuk seems worried about this trend also.


9/27 ISTANBUL-PRINCE’S ISLAND

Selcuk created an itinerary for four of us today and it worked out perfectly. Sue, Ruth, Pat and I caught a 9 A.M. ferry to the Prince’s Islands. The ninety minute ride in the Sea of Mamara briefly docks at two of the seven islands before arriving at the final one, Buyukada. On this charming island we took an hour long horse-drawn buggy tour of part of the attractive town. We then strolled along the streets where we admired the many large, white wooden houses, with their ornately designed window frames and porches, set behind lush gardens. We also saw the exterior of a large synagogue but were unable to get inside. We ate lunch at a fish restaurant along the waterfront.

We just made the departing ferry to Bostanci, on the Asian side of the sea. This Asian district appears prosperous, with pastel, attractive apartment buildings lining the shore. From Bostanci we took a dolmus van, a common type of transport where passengers pay to ride as long a distance as they want. The van drove down Baghdad Boulevard, the most upscale avenue in Istanbul, full of fancy “global” shops and restaurants. The pedestrians were well dressed and there were no head scarves in sight. On the ride, we were noting the American shops and fast food restaurants on the avenue. The driver heard us and turned around (while he was driving) and began shrieking something about the United States. A woman passenger who spoke a bit of English said that he was criticizing the US government. The four Americans mentioned President Bush and made faces and hand gestures to indicate our disapproval of him, to the delight of the Turkish passengers and driver. One of the Turks mentioned President Clinton while making a "thumbs up" gesture. We agreed. I asked them about President Gul and they seemed ambivalent about him.

We took a ferry from Karakoy on the Asian side across the Golden Horn river to the Eminonu dock on the European side. Many commuters take this ferry to work every day. We then strolled back and forth across the Galata bridge, accompanied by throngs of Istanbullas. The views from the bridge of the fishermen with their long rods, the chaotic boat traffic, and mosques and minarets of Sultanahmet, are fascinating. The bridge is laden with Turkish flags. Indeed, nationalism is strong in Turkey and I have seen more flags flying here than in any other country.

Just across the bridge on the older European side stands the huge Yeni mosque. The call to prayer sounded so we put our shoes in a bag and the women covered their heads, enabling us to enter the mosque and observe the service. Next, we strolled through the nearby spice market once again and bought apple tea mix and saffron. Our bargaining nearly halved the price. By this time, Pat had taken a trolley back to the hotel. Sue, Ruth and I walked back through a warren of streets and lanes, passing through a textile district where men and boys were carrying heavy loads of clothing on their bowed backs from trucks into the shops. The women were wondering whether I knew the way back, and I did, as the mammoth Hagia Sophia appeared around a bend.

We didn’t stay long at the hotel. Ninety minutes later our foursome was walking again, and we headed back to the Hippodrome to partake in the end of fast Ramadan celebration. We ate dinner at the same restaurant, and this time Pat and I had a baked potato filled with goodies. Turkey has huge potatoes and the largest peaches I have ever seen. What a long but satisfying day, combining the rural, placid islands and the throbbing vitality of urban Istanbul.

I disagree with Pamuk’s depiction of Istanbul. To be sure, there are some crumbling, old buildings, concrete jungles in the suburbs, and areas of poverty. However, rather than a melancholy city, I see Istanbul as a thriving and dynamic place. Its infrastructure is good, the streets are tidy, and the Asian side along the Sea of Marmara and the large neighborhoods of Beyoglu and Taksim Square are affluent, modern and sophisticated. The views of the waterways from so many places are enchanting. The city retains some exotic character due to its mosques, towers and hamams (Turkish baths), which mix well with “the new.” I think Pamuk may have a negative personality that he projects onto a city that to me pulsates with energy and excitement.

9/28 ISTANBUL

Just as I wonder how I got to be sixty-five years old so quickly, I am also surprised that the trip has passed so rapidly. This is our final, full day in Turkey. Pat spent time with an American friend who is visiting her Turkish husband’s family. Ruth, Sue and I eagerly set out to visit more sites. We walked across the street from the hotel to the Mosaic Museum, which displays the mosaic floors of an ancient palace. The tile designs skillfully depict animals, warriors and hunters. We strolled through an older section of Sultanahmet to the Small Blue Mosque. It looks neglected from the exterior but the interior contains exquisite tile work. Then, we wandered along a mix of older and newer streets in the direction of the Sulimaniye Mosque, our destination. On the way we passed through the crowded Grand Bazaar and the leafy campus of Istanbul University.

It took more than an hour to finally reach the mosque. We strolled through its gardens and cemetery and visited the tomb of a sultan. I had wanted to enter the mosque to view the famous interior architecture and design, but unfortunately it was closed to non-Muslims for two hours during the prayer service. Thousands of men and women were streaming into the mosque, which became so packed that worshippers had to kneel outside in the garden to pray. This is likely, not only because it is Ramadam, but also because it is Friday which is the Muslim holy day. I probably could have snuck in if I had been wearing long pants, but in shorts and my baseball cap I looked too foreign to get in.

Next, we took a taxi to Topkapi Palace and ate our sandwiches in one of its lavish gardens. After lunch we walked to the nearby archeological museum where we met Pat and her friend, as planned. The museum is huge; the collection is housed in three buildings. I observed some of the collection, including the ornately carved Alexander the Great Sarcophagous that Sue adored. Actually, it’s not really Alexander’s sarcophagous but one of the relief figures on it is of him.

By this time I had my fill of museums so I left the group and fled to the Cemberlitas Hamam. This hamam, designed by the same architect who fashioned the Sulimaniye Mosque, is very attractive. However, it is too touristy, crowded and expensive. I got a relaxing twenty minute soap massage from a masseur who kept reminding me to tip him. I like the hamams I visited in Jerusalem and Cairo much better than this one. I walked back to the hotel by a circuitous route, through the shady Gulhani park below the Topkapi palace.

Ruth, Pat, Ann, Walter, Sue and I ate our last dinner together at a rather elegant restaurant in the outdoor courtyard of a hotel. Ann asked what part of the trip each of us liked the best. The answers included visiting the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace of Sultanahment, the tour of Cappadocia, cruising the Turkoise coast, and experiencing the Ramadan celebrations at the Hippodrome. Indeed, after dinner Ruth, Pat, Sue and I
returned to the Hippodrome to savor the fascinating scene. We bought ice cream from our favorite stand and stood on the edge of the path to watch the people. What a great way to say farewell to this wonderful city and country.

9/29 ISTANBUL-NEW YORK CITY

The noon flight departed promptly and the time passed quickly. We reached JFK punctually, took a taxi to Sue’s brothers house, drove to our step-mother’s home in New Jersey for a one day visit, and then returned to Lewisburg. The next day the reality of daily life here smacked me in the face--I started to paint the exterior of our house.

TRIP SUMMARY

What a great trip! Turkey has fully met my expectations and I savored every day of the experience. The itinerary was diverse, well planned, and efficiently implemented. Selcuk was a charming, knowledgeable, articulate, caring and well-organized trip leader.
The group members were amiable, flexible and cooperative. Turkey is a marvelous mix of the exotic and modern. I love the exotic features of the country—the mosques, minarets, prayer calls, and ancient sites, but also appreciate the modernity and the growing prosperity of the people. Istanbul is a dynamic, fascinating city; Cappadocia has unique and beautiful rock formations and quaint villages; the Roman ruins, especially Ephesus, Perge and Aspendos are dramatic and fascinating to explore; cruising the Turkoise coast is adventurous and showcases lovely sea and mountain scenery. The people are warm, welcoming and friendly. As usual, Sue has been a great travel companion and I have valued our time together. I will have fond memories of the trip, but now can start dreaming about my next two excursions—the wilds of Patagonia in late November into December, 2007, and Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam in February, 2008.


.