Not sure if anyone is reading this but I'll keep adding to it.
We left Cappadocia and cruised south toward the city of Nigde. We have passed by this city many times in the past and decided to stop and check it out and find the museum.
We didn't find the museum but a local park with Seljuk tombs which were nice. There also was an area with gym equipment so we played around for awhile. The local T's thought we were nuts .
Next we drove to Tyana, the ruins of the ancient town poking here and there within the modern village. There is a nice aqueduct running down the middle of the road and an excavated area. While taking pics of the excavation some local T's honked at us with a fancy horn then swung around and came to see us. There was a woman, her mother and her two daughters. They were friendly and took pics with us and gave us grapes and other fruits etc. they wanted us to go back to their home (to presumably kill and dismember us) but we respectfully declined, as we were trying to keep to a achedule having a long drive ahead of us.
So we continued along the super hwy, triggering the toll booths like we're are violating them though we have been repeatedly told we are ok. Who knows?
We drove back down to the southern coast and the sparkling Mediterranean and the heat and humidity. We decided to try and find the ruins of Pompeiopolis. It was scorching hot and we drove around and around and finally gave up, stopping in front of a market for a cold drink. The shop keeper told us the site was nearby so we made pb&j sandwiches and went there. The ruins consisted of a long colonnade which had been excavated, the rest of the ancient city presumably trapped under the modern town around it. Sad but a reality!
By this time we were beyond hot and tired and we also had a good layer of road varnish. We found a nice hotel and relaxed. But we got a second wind and drove up the road to Korykos and Michelle's fav castle on the sea. We had a nice dinner and watched the sunset over the castle. One sad thing is the litter. The locals just throw there trash down and the beach was littered with debris. Sad.
It didn't detract too much from a lovely evening and we had a nice room to go back to with a powerful air conditioner.
Yesterday's journey when I get up tomorrow!
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Friday, September 13, 2013
Cappadocia, such a lovely place and our first encounter with tour buses and such. Yesterday we left our rather run down hotel after some black coffee and bread. The city is no where a tourist would go and stuck out like a sore thumb. we clammered down to our dirty Opel and drove to the market called Migras, they have a good supply of things and we stocked up pn essentials. We then drove to the ancient coty of Issos where Alexander the Great and the Persian king Darius met in battle c. 332BC. It was hot and dusty and we wander alone through the scant ruins, all mostly under farmland at the moment.
We then drove (and got lost a bit) to Karatepe, a Hititte site north of Osmaniye. It is located up in a national park with pine forests around and lakes. A lovely drive. Since the actual site is now under the lake we had to settle for a museum which is under construction. We hot to see some nice things including an important inscription in Phoenician and Luwian (one of the late Hotitte langusges) which sided translation, Phoenician being rather well lnown. We then found a pleasant shady spot and parked, making peanut butter and kelly sandwiches. Unfortunately the wheat bread we bought was so dry it seemed to crumble and blow away in the wind as we ate the sandwich. We had to choke them down.
After this we visited Hierapolis-Kastabala, a place we've been to 4-5 times in the past. It is neat to see the progress of the excavations there, but today the T's were bustling over the site and in the afternoon 105 degree weather we didnt feel too welcome, though we strolled about anyway since the site is open to the public. I have many Greek and Roman coins from this place so this adds to the experience. After this were we hot as hell and devided to flee hot and dusty Colicia and head towards Cappadocia, Michelle doing a stellar job of guiding our way, sneaking into Lykia Hotel Kappadpkia just as the sinset, about a five hour drive, which used to be longer but they have extended the super hwy just past Nigde leaving us only 30 or so miles on the regular roads.
We had a nice meal and went to bed. The next morning we drove around to the various open air parks and did some shopping, quite low key really. Not much in the way of local cultural stuff as it was hot and Michelle was a little slow today. After realizing I had been dragging her around we went back to our rather nice hotel and relaxed before driving around once again in the afternoon. We visited some homes built inside the fairy columns which are carved out of the tufts. Google Cappadocia to get an idea of what we experienced.
Tomorrow we plan to visit the ancient city of Tyana then we haven't really decided yet where we'll end up, I guess time will tell.
One thing we always find rather amusing our the hotel room rubbish bins. They are so tiny that once you toss a Pepsi can in them they are filled. We see them night after night and even for sale at the supermarket. It is as they expect no one to throw anything away. Our bin here is surrounded by water bottles. One must drink a lot in the heat.
We hope you are all well and are having a great time. Michelle would like her dear mother to email her about our cat Sammy.
Until wherever we end up....
K&M
We then drove (and got lost a bit) to Karatepe, a Hititte site north of Osmaniye. It is located up in a national park with pine forests around and lakes. A lovely drive. Since the actual site is now under the lake we had to settle for a museum which is under construction. We hot to see some nice things including an important inscription in Phoenician and Luwian (one of the late Hotitte langusges) which sided translation, Phoenician being rather well lnown. We then found a pleasant shady spot and parked, making peanut butter and kelly sandwiches. Unfortunately the wheat bread we bought was so dry it seemed to crumble and blow away in the wind as we ate the sandwich. We had to choke them down.
After this we visited Hierapolis-Kastabala, a place we've been to 4-5 times in the past. It is neat to see the progress of the excavations there, but today the T's were bustling over the site and in the afternoon 105 degree weather we didnt feel too welcome, though we strolled about anyway since the site is open to the public. I have many Greek and Roman coins from this place so this adds to the experience. After this were we hot as hell and devided to flee hot and dusty Colicia and head towards Cappadocia, Michelle doing a stellar job of guiding our way, sneaking into Lykia Hotel Kappadpkia just as the sinset, about a five hour drive, which used to be longer but they have extended the super hwy just past Nigde leaving us only 30 or so miles on the regular roads.
We had a nice meal and went to bed. The next morning we drove around to the various open air parks and did some shopping, quite low key really. Not much in the way of local cultural stuff as it was hot and Michelle was a little slow today. After realizing I had been dragging her around we went back to our rather nice hotel and relaxed before driving around once again in the afternoon. We visited some homes built inside the fairy columns which are carved out of the tufts. Google Cappadocia to get an idea of what we experienced.
Tomorrow we plan to visit the ancient city of Tyana then we haven't really decided yet where we'll end up, I guess time will tell.
One thing we always find rather amusing our the hotel room rubbish bins. They are so tiny that once you toss a Pepsi can in them they are filled. We see them night after night and even for sale at the supermarket. It is as they expect no one to throw anything away. Our bin here is surrounded by water bottles. One must drink a lot in the heat.
We hope you are all well and are having a great time. Michelle would like her dear mother to email her about our cat Sammy.
Until wherever we end up....
K&M
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Well we have come down from Mt. Nimrut and spent last night in Osmaniye. It was more congested and hectic than I remembered and we had to make a half dozen u-turns until we found a hotel we had stayed in during our 2009 sojourn. Upon parking (that was a chore) I noticed a wicked dent on the hood from a rock, glad we have full coverage!
By the way, I dislike the car greatly. It is an Opel (I forgot the model) a small thing with transmission I still haven't completely figured out. Is it an automatic or a manual? No clutch but 1-5 gears. Very difficult in the lower gears to go so I say a few bad words now and again. By the way it is costing about 90 dollars to fill the tank.
Someone is smoking in the next room and it is coming into ours through the bath.
To continue our tale we spent 2 nice days in Urfa visiting the various
Sites therein and around like Gobeklitepe, Harran (not so nice and 7 miles from Syria) and some other Neolithic and Hititte sites.
We then drove to Mt. Nimrut and stopped in Adyiaman at the museum, loaded up on some junk to eat and drink and headed to Nimrut (google the place).
On the way to Nimrut we decided to stop by a few other ancient places (they have no milk in our hotel for coffee, yuk) which meant we would have to take a rather unorthodox approach to the mountain we seeking. Michelle led us up and around back and forth along windy, steep and mostly unpaved roads as we slowly made our way. We even had to ask a Shepard for directions and finally we were on a long, dusty gravel road which seemed way out of the way when suddenly we found a paved road, turned left instead of right, and found our hotel. It was a miracle but Michelle is a pretty good navigator and I was pretty proud of her on this day.
Hotel Eufrat was the place and it was run by a sweet woman from Holland. We quickly had a coffee then drove up the mountain and raced up the long, hideous walkway pummeled by cold and wind, above the tree line until we made the western platform and got to watch the sunset. Magical!
Then we went back down and ate dinner then relaxed and chatted with another American guy and some French tourists.
We awoke at 4AM (yes I did) and drove up to the mountain again, raced, well actually stumbled, up the hideous path around to the eastern platform and watched the sunrise over the monument. Just fabulous and this is actually our second time doing this as we did it in 2010 as well. Good stuff Maynard!
Ok, we then left Euphrat hotel and eased back through Aidyiaman toward we were we are at now, Osmaniye. Along the way we visited a Roman bridge (rather sad and dilapidated but spanning a lovely part of the Euphrates river. The drive was beautiful with fields of lava flows at one point and we stopped for gas (185 Turkish lira - 90 dollars!) then went behind the station and climbed on the lava! Well I did while Michelle was using the lu.
So this morning we sit amongst gold slip-covered chairs and a noisy town having black coffee, bread and honey (they have some way salty cheese and some kind if processed mystery meat we are steering clear of!
We are off to Issus, Hierapolis-Kastabala, Epiphaneia and Hititte Karatepe and will probably pass on Anazarbus as we have been there 4-5 times already.
Will check back soon!
Leave a comment so I know someone reads this.
K&M
By the way, I dislike the car greatly. It is an Opel (I forgot the model) a small thing with transmission I still haven't completely figured out. Is it an automatic or a manual? No clutch but 1-5 gears. Very difficult in the lower gears to go so I say a few bad words now and again. By the way it is costing about 90 dollars to fill the tank.
Someone is smoking in the next room and it is coming into ours through the bath.
To continue our tale we spent 2 nice days in Urfa visiting the various
Sites therein and around like Gobeklitepe, Harran (not so nice and 7 miles from Syria) and some other Neolithic and Hititte sites.
We then drove to Mt. Nimrut and stopped in Adyiaman at the museum, loaded up on some junk to eat and drink and headed to Nimrut (google the place).
On the way to Nimrut we decided to stop by a few other ancient places (they have no milk in our hotel for coffee, yuk) which meant we would have to take a rather unorthodox approach to the mountain we seeking. Michelle led us up and around back and forth along windy, steep and mostly unpaved roads as we slowly made our way. We even had to ask a Shepard for directions and finally we were on a long, dusty gravel road which seemed way out of the way when suddenly we found a paved road, turned left instead of right, and found our hotel. It was a miracle but Michelle is a pretty good navigator and I was pretty proud of her on this day.
Hotel Eufrat was the place and it was run by a sweet woman from Holland. We quickly had a coffee then drove up the mountain and raced up the long, hideous walkway pummeled by cold and wind, above the tree line until we made the western platform and got to watch the sunset. Magical!
Then we went back down and ate dinner then relaxed and chatted with another American guy and some French tourists.
We awoke at 4AM (yes I did) and drove up to the mountain again, raced, well actually stumbled, up the hideous path around to the eastern platform and watched the sunrise over the monument. Just fabulous and this is actually our second time doing this as we did it in 2010 as well. Good stuff Maynard!
Ok, we then left Euphrat hotel and eased back through Aidyiaman toward we were we are at now, Osmaniye. Along the way we visited a Roman bridge (rather sad and dilapidated but spanning a lovely part of the Euphrates river. The drive was beautiful with fields of lava flows at one point and we stopped for gas (185 Turkish lira - 90 dollars!) then went behind the station and climbed on the lava! Well I did while Michelle was using the lu.
So this morning we sit amongst gold slip-covered chairs and a noisy town having black coffee, bread and honey (they have some way salty cheese and some kind if processed mystery meat we are steering clear of!
We are off to Issus, Hierapolis-Kastabala, Epiphaneia and Hititte Karatepe and will probably pass on Anazarbus as we have been there 4-5 times already.
Will check back soon!
Leave a comment so I know someone reads this.
K&M
Monday, September 9, 2013
In Sanliurfa and having a coffee
We have spent two wonderful days in Urfa and have visited the site of Gobeklitepe and Harran. This city is gorgeous with a park filled with sacred carp ponds and mosques etc. Also the bazaars are fab and we spent countless hours wandering the alleyways and observing blacksmiths, woodworkers and all kinds of things.
We sit at breakfast here and are getting ready to drive to Adyiaman and Nimrud to climb the mountain and watch the sunset. We did this before in 2010.
Please comment to let me know anyone is reading this and Barry email me so I have you address.
Kelly
We sit at breakfast here and are getting ready to drive to Adyiaman and Nimrud to climb the mountain and watch the sunset. We did this before in 2010.
Please comment to let me know anyone is reading this and Barry email me so I have you address.
Kelly
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Hey guys. I still can't post pics here but I just threw up half a dozen from Mardin on facebook (come on guys sign-up!).
We drove to the ancient site/village of Hasankeyf yesterday and it was quite hot. The Tigris river runs through it and they are fighting over whether or not to dam the region for progress at the expense of a few sites, this one included. Google it for pics etc or go to my Facebook page (hint, hint).
We drove then to Mardin which sits at the top of the Mesopotamian plain, Syria being around 30 miles south. You wouldn't know anything is going on down there. We got lost in the narrow windy one-way streets znd had to hire a taxi to lead us to the hotel. Then when we found it we had to drag our bags up 40 flights (maybe 10 really) to the guesthouse. They put us in a gorgeous room with carved domed ceilings, all medieval and all then as we settled down they came and told us we were in the wrong room and then took us to the dungeon, a room dark and deep in the rock which needed dehumidifiers. Since I could speak enough Turkish it took a while before we haggled a more acceptable room, but the restaurant at top had creaking chairs which woke us up all the time. We rose early and walked the old city, beautiful! Pics on Facebook (hint,hint).
Love you all, French fries are ready at the breakfast table!
K&M
We drove to the ancient site/village of Hasankeyf yesterday and it was quite hot. The Tigris river runs through it and they are fighting over whether or not to dam the region for progress at the expense of a few sites, this one included. Google it for pics etc or go to my Facebook page (hint, hint).
We drove then to Mardin which sits at the top of the Mesopotamian plain, Syria being around 30 miles south. You wouldn't know anything is going on down there. We got lost in the narrow windy one-way streets znd had to hire a taxi to lead us to the hotel. Then when we found it we had to drag our bags up 40 flights (maybe 10 really) to the guesthouse. They put us in a gorgeous room with carved domed ceilings, all medieval and all then as we settled down they came and told us we were in the wrong room and then took us to the dungeon, a room dark and deep in the rock which needed dehumidifiers. Since I could speak enough Turkish it took a while before we haggled a more acceptable room, but the restaurant at top had creaking chairs which woke us up all the time. We rose early and walked the old city, beautiful! Pics on Facebook (hint,hint).
Love you all, French fries are ready at the breakfast table!
K&M
Friday, September 6, 2013
It seems I cannot post pics on this blog as the blog only supports android phones and not I- phones. I have Greg (our tech guy) on it. So I'll blog here and Facebook too. So those of you who aren't on Facebook, mom and Barry, Kathy, sign-up without giving them any info then friend me. We,ll do our. Best to support both formats but it seems pics can only go to Facebook for the moment.
Come on guys, do it for us!
Michelle says do it for Johnny!
Come on guys, do it for us!
Michelle says do it for Johnny!
We made it Diyabakir safely. The flight from LA to Istanbul was surprisingly enjoyable. Food was awesome! Turkish air is ok in my book (and Michelle's). Got a SIM card and we are good to go. I am trying to attach a pic from outside the hotel window.
Tomorrow we get the car and off to Mardin.
Thanks again Ray!We miss our cars already. Michelle has set pics of them on the table by the bed.
Will try and post that pic.
We are well!
K&M
Tomorrow we get the car and off to Mardin.
Thanks again Ray!We miss our cars already. Michelle has set pics of them on the table by the bed.
Will try and post that pic.
We are well!
K&M
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