Turkish Delights

We have quickly realized that our olfactories have been essentially wasted in the U.S. Relegated to primarily detecting what's for dinner or the occasional dirty diaper, they've grown flabby from disuse. Turkey is changing that in a hurry. The constant press of sweaty bodies on the trains, the odiferous assault of myriad spices in the bazaars, and wafting fumes from sidewalk cafes in all directions have quickly wrung our snouts through an intense bootcamp. Luckily for you, blogs don't yet convey scent (though someone is surely working on it). Take our word for it - the trip smells great so far.

Our first international stop was Istanbul (or Constantinople?), the dominant city in Turkey. This massive metropolis is built on the land bridge that connects Europe and Asia and visibly blends both influences. Ambling through town rewarded us with a hands-on history lesson spanning a few millenia and numerous empires. Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman monuments and ruins abound. Highlights include the gargantuan Aya Sophia, which spent its first 900 years as the greatest church in Christiandom until it was converted to a mosque after the Muslim conquest in the 15th century. Additional adventures include haggling with incessent (and ubiquitous) rug salesmen, visiting cavernous mosques, the crush of bustling open air markets, and a peaceful cruise on the Bosphorus.

























Our time in Istanbul reminded us why young kids need naps. On top of the aforementioned cornucopia of odors, the rest of our senses were similarily blitzed. The flood of new sights and sounds, the unfamiliar (but delectable) foods, and the common jostling of public places is exhausting. Harkened back to early childhood by our lack of comprehension, it is amazing to break out of our comfortable routines and see everything through new eyes. Just forgive us a nap here and there...


From the cosmopolitan, we soon traversed to the hinterlands of Cappadocia in Turkey's geographic center. This area is a geologic wonderland - a lunar landscape studded with fairy chimneys of rock. For thousands of years, the locals have burrowed into the stone and excavated houses and churches. We spent our time exploring some of these underground buildings and lived the experience for a few nights in a cozy cave hotel room.

















A plane, a bus, and sweltering standing-room-only train delivered us to our curent haunt in Selcuk, near the Aegean coast. Our time here has been a relaxing cocktail of lounging poolside and exploring the famed ruins of the Roman city of Ephesus. Additionally, we took in the Basillica of St. John, where the apostle purportedly wrote his gospel and was buried. Finally, we visited one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis. The temple is primarily rubble these days, but its 127 towering marble columns once made it a formidable building larger than the Parthenon in Athens.























We are glad that Ramadan is over and we can once again eat lunch without feeling guilty for flaunting our food in front of the fasting locals. We are also happy for sunny days, a decent exchange rate, freedom to spend our days how we choose, and people who speak English better than we speak Turkish. Carolyn is happy that she can get pants hemmed here for less than $4. Ben is happy that he doesn't have to try to talk to any more Turkish tailors, since the last conversation went something like this:

Ben - "Excuse me sir, can you hem pants?"
Smiling Turk - (blank friendly stare)
Ben - "Could you make these pants shorter?" (demonstrating on cuffs how much might come off)
Smiling Turk - (blank friendly stare)
Ben - "Pants. Short" (gesturing wildly with flailing arms)
Smiling Turk - "Do you speak English?"




Yikes. We knew our Turkish was non-existent and our French/German/Spanish were rudimentry, but never thought to brush up on our English. I am sure it will lead to many more fun encounters as the road takes us on. Cheers for now - we'll see you somewhere farther north!