Single Step

I thought that since everyone else is out and about and I have a few free moments and the Internet is working I had better write today’s post.

We’re in the neighbourhood of the famed seven churches of the biblical book of Revelation. Our tour guide is Turkish and Moslem with a sparing knowledge of the bible and Christianity (makes sense) so there is little mention of the 1000 year Byzantine era or of the early church. Instead we hear a good deal about Greek mythology and the Ottoman Empire, not to mention the father of the Turks, Ataturk (the amazing!)

It’s not likely we will return to Turkey and feel like we are missing out on something fundamentally important to us but we booked the tour expecting a secular viewpoint and are now wondering if that was wise. The skeleton is in place but we’re missing the narrative flesh of it, if that makes sense.

The setting of the ruins of Sardis is pastoral with rolling green hills surrounding it and honest-to-goodness shepherds tending their sheep and goats nearby. Reconstruction of parts of the columns and archways give a more complete sense of what it looked like as an important Roman city. The country’s oldest synagogue is expansive next to the gymnasium and Christian crosses are punctured in the marble door frames. It is good to know that Yahweh was worshiped here.

The temperature is climbing with each day and we have enjoyed the cooler days after Israel and Jordan’s heat. We expect hot weather as we head to a favorite resort area called Bodrum, tomorrow. On our way we stop at Ephesus and some of best preserved ruins in the ancient world. It will be a sunscreen and hat day.

Go well, friends.

Textiles and hand crafts play an important role in the most basic of economies and Turkey is well known for its carpet industry.

On our way to Izmer (Smyrna), we took a detour to a tiny weaving village where women shear the sheep, wash and dye the wood with natural dyes, card it, spin it on a small spindle and double knot it on a vertical set of woolen strands in order to create the most colorful and durable carpets. With hands flying, these women can tie a lot of knots in the blink of an eye. It took me several seconds to tie one!

Next we visited a cooperative where carpets from several villages were on sale in one large warehouse. They really were stunning but since we were not in the market for a $2400 souvenir today we opted out of the sales pitch and we waited outside for the others while they gathered their wares.

Rafet, the Amazing, maneuvers our monster-of-a-bus with the flexibility of a gymnast and so he once again took us from remote, cobbled and tiny to the busy city streets of Bergamum. It’s where the Pergamum acropolis sits on atop the highest point in the city. The ruins are more recognizable than Troy’s and the layers of construction indicate habitation from ancient Hellenistic to the late Roman and Byzantinium era.

Our guide warns us about the snakes hiding in the holes around the site so we step carefully. Our Vancouver tour mate, Valerie, had one cross her path at the temple of Athena the other day and none of us wanted a repeat experience.

We arrived in Izmir in the early evening and ate dinner together at a well known kebob joint. The food was very good.

Tomorrow, Sardis.

Once predominately Greek, Ayvalik feels out of place on the Turkish coast. The red clay tiled roofs and stucco exterior of the homes leave no doubt about its Greek history, nor do the number of Greek Orthodox churches-turned-mosque.

Since Turkey became a republic in the 1930’s it has been against the law to “do anything unTurkish”. That includes living as a Greek. The entire population of Ayvalik was relocated to Greece while the Turks living in Greece had the option of moving to Ayvalik, which they did.

We spent the day walking the Old City and visiting the nearby island of Cunda. You may know the island’s more famous sister, Lesbos, from Greek mythology. I also brushed up on my backgammon skills. The Turks are crazy about the game so when our bus driver challenged me to play, I couldn’t resist. I beat him two games out of three but he’s such a nice guy I have my suspicions about the genuineness of my win.

A day off from scheduled sightseeing was most welcome. My cold is behind me and my energy is returning.

Tomorrow the schedule indicates a full day, the need for good walking shoes, and a 7:00 am start. It will be an early night.

The climb from the harbour of Assos is steep and cobbled so we walked some and met the bus part way up. The setting reminds us of the Cinque Terre on Italy’s west coast with its fishing dories and rounded breakwater. On his second missionary journey, the Apostle Paul sailed from here to Rhodes then Caesarea and on to Jerusalem. The distance in that day and age was great and we understand how weary he must have been.

Turkey’s Mount Olympos (yes, it’s spelled with an “o”) is where the gods of ancient Greek mythology hung out and is now a national park. We arrived in a small village in the mountains and explored the back streets then stopped in a local bed and breakfast, also a working olive farm, for a delicious home cooked lunch. Easily the best Turkish meal to date.

Over lunch, we could hear music from the community hall and discovered a wedding celebration in progress and so we all walked over to get a glimpse of the bride. Photos were forbidden but the hospitality was warm as we wished the happy couple well.

Turkey produces 10% of the world’s olive oil and since we are in olive country, a stop at a production plant was in order. We learned that black olives are at a different stage of ripeness compared to their green counterparts and difference between cold-pressed oil, virgin and extra virgin oil is in the filtering and/or heating process. Of course, there are plenty of opportunities to part with our Turkish Lira and we have come to expect them.

Ayvalik is another coastal village and we will lay our heads here tonight. The others are touring the town while we organize laundry, check the Internet, and find an eatery for an early dinner.

A word about the tour, the bus is air conditioned and comfortable. Gord especially enjoys the freedom it affords. Our tour mates are really lovely, well-traveled, intelligent and fun. Allowing someone else to schedule the day is relaxing and enabling at the same time. I heard someone ask where we were going today and I marveled that they did not know. But, I certainly can see how that follower mentality creeps in. Relinquishing the decision-making is part of the holiday for people. I get that.

Whether or not it’s for me? Time will tell.

Were you wondering what happened to us?

The pace has quickened since joining our tour and Internet is flaky in back door Turkey. Add to that a nasty cold and you have a a sound set of reasons for our absence.

During our final unstructured moments on Sunday afternoon we boarded a boat and puttered along the coast of the Bosphorous Strait. The day was perfect and warm and the scenery spectacular. Istanbul goes on and on and on. 16 million people call the city their home and it shows.

We joined our Village Turkey tour on Sunday evening with 18 other people; 1 other Canadian who hails from Vancouver and the others are neighbours to the South. Our guide is Turkish woman in her mid-to-late 30’s who has been working with Rick Steves for 4 years.

After orientation we walked to the Blue Mosque and heard more about the history and construction of the building. Then we all piled into a quaint restaurant and filled the place. Eating among the Turks has been a challenge for this little Celiac and it was a treat to have our guide take care of translating “gluten-free” to the wait staff.

Yesterday morning at 7:00 the bus pulled away from our hotel and headed for Galipoli. The site is a combination of memorials to the soldiers who fought here in WWI. It’s one of those dear places visited by parents and wives and children of our Australian friends who lost their lives in a battle they could not hope to win. The main monument stood tallest and commemorated the Turks under Ataturk, whose army won the day. Someone commented that there were no winners here. I felt sad.

There were other stops enroute and I hope the photos will tell a little more of our day. The bus arrived in the tiny seaport of Assos for the night after an 8:30 pm dinner and we hit the hay!

Breakfast is included at most hotels and the scheduled start will take some getting used to. The bus begun its climb to the ruins of Troy – yes, we thought it was in Greece too – and on the return route we pulled off to a tiny town built on the ruins of Assos. The city was made famous by Aristotle before he began his tutorial role in Alexander’s life. The Apostle Paul stopped here with Luke and we could easily imagine him discussing evidence of Messiah in the Torah and challenging followers of Athena from the high places.

Turkish countryside is lush with its vineyards and olive groves. Shepherds herd their flocks with motorbikes and the more traditional sheepdogs. The townspeople are ever ready when the bus pulls into the Otopark with wares from India and China. Some handmade items hang with the manufactured ones but sadly, it is hard to tell the difference.

The plan this evening before our late dinner involves a name game, reminiscent of camp, that our tour mates have been preparing for throughout the day.

Tomorrow we board the bus again and continue to make our way south to see more of this remarkable country!

I’m sure the saying, “Pride goeth before a fall” has crossed your path or perhaps your own lips at some point. There is a certain amount of truth to that adage. Since I don’t like falling it makes sense to avoid pride in the first place.

I admit, I worry a little about appearances. Specific to travel, I don’t like appearing like a tourist. Ridiculous in a Middle Eastern culture where my white body, western clothing and the camera hanging around my neck are dead give-aways. Still, I like being a little unusual. Even odd. Someone who regularly chooses the road less traveled.

There are times, however, when it makes sense to join the crowd and today was one of those days. You can’t really see the major sights any other way in the month of May so off we went. First stop, Iya Sofya. The most frequently visited sight in Istanbul, free admission and layered in Christian and Islamic history, it is listed in the guide books as a must-see. Since today is a historic holiday for Turks, even the locals became tourists and we could not get near the place. Same thing with the Blue Mosque, another sight-seeing icon.

Instead, we walked. For 4 hours we walked. Through the wooden structured Colonial District, through the gauntlet of a lesser bazaar, along the waterfront promenade, over the bridge that spans the Golden Horn, through the floating fish-to-go lunch stops, along the tram route and back to the hotel.

On our way to our room, we met a large group of young people shouting and chanting some unifying slogan. The shop owners stood at their doorways with furrowed brows and families migrated to side streets. Apparently, it was a demonstration against the government and business owners were worried about an eruption. That explained the vanloads of police at the major sights and the guards with machine guns on every corner.

We decided to stay in and enjoy the whirlpool before we join tomorrow’s tour. As a seguay to the tour, let me just say that we are uncharacteristically relinquishing a measure of independence for the next 11 days beginning tomorrow as we hook up with a Rick Steves tour of western Turkey. To be honest, we are a little apprehensive. As far as I am aware, it isn’t the pride thing. But it could be.

The real question is, will it provide a better experience of Turkey than would be possible on our own? We thought so when we booked. Now we see how accessible the country and its people are.

Stay tuned.

Note: you will see some overlapping of photos below. Sadly, I am unable to correct the issue. Please know that any frustration you experience in viewing the photos is shared.

Yesterday’s photos of the largest city in Israel were less than flattering and so today we set out to give the metropolis another chance. Here is what we found.

The seaside promenade snakes the shoreline, no surprise, and the buildings across the street literally range from the ultra posh to the condemned. Our 6 hour stroll felt more like a schizophrenic yank from the developing world to the highly developed world and back – again, and again, and again.

Tomorrow we plan to fly to Turkey. As we prepare to leave this incredible place we thought we might list a few unique qualities/facts/observations that we have not included thus far.

• Dress is modest. When the travel guides say long dresses, long sleeves and long pants, they aren’t kidding.
• The drivers are generally the worst we have encountered.
• English isn’t an official language, but could be.
• 20% of Israelis are Russian
• Tel Aviv is second only to Bangkok in human trafficking
• The people want to be taken seriously.
• They tell us of themselves, that Jews and the Germans are much alike.
• Feral cat population is a health concern. This guy is in pretty good shape compared to most.
• Israel’s verbose culture includes signage.
• Kiss the Shema on the doorpost when you enter an Israeli home.
• Correct spelling is a fluid endeavor.
• Niche market opportunities include selling razor wire or brake pads.

Toda raba Israel!

Before we share our impressions of Tel Aviv, I want to share a few photos of our drive south  from Haifa. Caesarea is one of those classic ruins that include ancient biblical, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and Crusader influence. The hippodrome track and amphitheatre once used for chariot races is recognizable. The seaside setting is breathtaking and it doesn’t take much imagination to outline Herod’s swimming pool along the shoreline. Mosaics, though pocked and faded, line the pool’s edge and allude to Herod’s artistic attention to detail.

We left Caesarea and drove inland in search of the Gourmet Yarn Store. I thought it might be fun to do something ordinary like buy yarn but do it in a foreign country. I found the store by using Ravelry, an online knitting forum (highly recommended if you are a knitter). It’s these kinds of things that foster connections with locals. You know by now I love that kind of thing! Yes, I bought Israeli hand dyed merino, 2 skeins just to be sure.

Now for Tel Aviv. I will let the photos do the talking and you can draw your own conclusions.

A certain amount of housekeeping is required even on holidays. Clothes need washing, plans need finalizing, water bottles need refilling. Downtime helps us recharge as we rest our weary feet, reflect on our time here and prepare for the next thing. After a traditional Israeli breakfast of salad, fruit, breads and various forms of dairy we caught the 23 bus to the shrine at the Ba’hai Gardens. From the base of Mount Carmel to its crest the terraced grounds are commanding. Symmetry is key and so every flower, every shrub, every stone path has its mirror image. The perfection of petal and leaf left me wanting something more natural. The shrine opens until noon so we left shoes at the door and silently stepped in. A woman knelt on a fringed corner of a Persian carpet while whispering recitations from a holy book. The prayer of the prophet B’ab hung framed on the wall and a number of ornate candelabras stood in the centre of the room. We took a quick look and stepped back outside. We were told that Jews are forbidden to join the Ba’hai faith and to further prevent the temptation, there are no lectures or teaching of any kind on the site. Lunch time found us at the Kosher Israeli chain, Cafe Cafe. Truth be known, I am smitten with Middle Eastern salads. Every ingredient is chopped to a quarter of an inch and the lemon and olive oil dressing, with a touch of sea salt is simply scrumptious! The lemon mint grenadine, a blend of fresh squeezed lemon juice, mint leaves, honey and shaved ice, does wonders to refresh after a hot morning climb up Carmel. The sun is low, our clothes are drying around the hotel room and we are off to find an Aroma coffee shop to close this day.