Istanbul, Turkey
Jim, Kathy and Tom flew to Istanbul early on Monday. Inishnee would change crew. Tom would fly home Wednesday, Marianne, Jim’s sister would take his place that day.
Istanbul is a huge city; modern and old fused together. We stayed in the old part of town in a mostly refurbished hotel… not quite as advertised but the location was great.
We had great advice from friends back in the US as to what we should not miss and if time, few extras of interest…
Topkapi Palace. A large complex, a small city within the city. A many palace gardens were flanked by numerous buildings. Residence of the sultan, his harem, several mosques, kitchens baths and servant quarters.
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| The rooms for the harem |
The Blue Mosque though impressive in size was a bit disappointing out to the extensive interior renovations. The picturesque painted and mosaic ceilings cordoned off… Because it is a functioning mosque, not a museum, all visitors but abide by the strict dress code. Women: scares to cover heads, sleeves for arms and legs covered below the knees. Men: no hats, arms and legs covered… All visitors not dressed appropriately are given loner wear. *Men in shorts were required to wear the loaner shirts…
The Hagia Sofia was one of the highlights. This mosque is a museum so no special clothing required. A short film highlighted many of the mosques details. This mosque too was being renovated but the immense scaffolding only slightly detracted from the overall grander and beauty of the building. The Hagia was originally a church but was converted to a mosque. The layering of the two religions is visible throughout the building. Mosaics and paintings from christianity fused with emblems and writings in Arabic. Several Koran’s on display in the reading room. Balcony overlooking the main galley below. Pulpits and naves for religious services and proceedings.
An interesting side note, the city of Sofia, Bulgaria was named after this mosque. The city officials believed it was the most magnificent building they had ever seen and wanted their city to reflect its magnificent…  |
| The Wishing Spot insert your thumb make a wish |
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| The weeping column |
Basilica Cistern. A fascinating underground cistern was built to contain the enormous water supply needed for the cities population. Its capacity was around 100,000 tons of water captured from aqueducts that changed water form nearby streams. Curiously, some of the dozens of columns that support the massive roof are ‘works of art’… One names the weeping column is said to be the in memory of the many slaves that worked / died while building the cistern. Tow other oddities are the Medusa heads that are placed under 2 of th support column. one upside down the other sideways…. All 3 column would have been under water most of the time and only the caretakers of the cistern would have had assess to there locations….
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| Medus' head |
The Archeological Museum was a lovely surprise. We spent several hours wandering around the buildings soaking in the history through the many displays, states and artifacts. Just enough to satisfy your curiosity but not overwhelm with redundancy.
To escape the hustle and bustle of the city, we wandered through the hillside of Gulhane Park. Wooden and landscaped with flowerbeds and sculptures. Fountains and benches. Many locals as well as tourist rest and play in the many acres of the lush green oasis. 
The Little Hagia Sofia Dating to around 500ad. A lovely little church convert into a mosque right in our back yard, just a block from to hotel. 
The Grand Bazar was a HUGE disappointment. We were hot and tired and decided to take a taksi (taxi) instead of walking… Knowing the general direction and distance, we settled on a price (10TL) for the ride. The driver made it about one block when were he quickly jumps out and another driver jumped in. *warning* The new driver continued in along the main road then turned right… Kathy quickly pointed out this was the wrong direction but the driver insisted we had to take this route because the the roads were closed for Ramadan. Ok… we then drove along the sea… way way from the bazar… and past our exit for our hotel… *another warning* He then quickly pulls over and tells us to just walk up the street and and we would find the market… He then insisted on more money than originally agreed. We did not have the correct change, only a big ‘bill’ which he promptly took and drove off… grrrr! We began the walk up and up and up. Consulting the phone GPS we were WAY far from the Grand Bazaar!!! The D@mn taksi drivers had set us up… we had been were taken for a ride…pun intended. Then to add insult to injury; Jim noticed that his ATM money was missing too! A LOT of cash… it must have fallen out in the cab when we pulled out his wallet to pay…
Although we were quite angry … *perspective: we have been traveling for over 3 years. This is one of only 2 times anyone have blatantly taken from us.
So we continued on up the hill. Stopped at a Doner Cafe to eat, then on to the Grand Bazaar. A HUGE roofed building. Thousands of stalls selling the same goods. The prices quoted (nothing has a sticker price) are 3 and 4 times higher then we had paid / seen anywhere else!!! The haggling rule for the bazaar is: offer half of what the vendor says and pay just a bit more than half… after LOTS of haggling… We didn't even attempt a purchase… |
| making silk thread from silk worm cocoons |
Other things of note. The food was fantastic though a bit more expensive than the smaller cities and villages. Expected. The carpet sales men are NOT shy! They are very persistent and latch onto you like the plague… It was impossible to find anyone that was not a carpet vendor… or that didn't know of or was related to one.
Ramadan was in its mid month… the town center was cordoned off, picnic tables, sound stages and polis (police) were everywhere. Every evening as dusk was approaching and signaling the end of the days fast, the park squares came alive with locals. They brought blankets and chairs. Food and beverage. When sun set was declared, they all ate there evening meals. Laughing, eating and socializing. TV crews interviewed prominent persons. Musicians played. A crafts village skirted the main square with MARKED prices of their goods. Each booth offering a different craft, food of beverage.
While wandering around one afternoon, Jim decided to get a shave. The Turkish men are fastidious about cleanliness, hair (short) and shaves. Our good friend Larry had highly recommended Jim experience this. The friendly barber didn't mind that Kathy sat in in the shop which normally is frequented by men… Jim was washed, scraped, shaved (straight razor), massaged, washed again. Trimmed and … even had his ear hair burned off! By the end, KAthy was quite jealous… except for the ear hair part.
Friday, departure back to Fethiye. Marianne toting the smallest suitcase possible … The weather was looking stormy for our projected departure date so we decided to stay on and take a day trip to Pamukule… 
A couple of hours by rental car. The area has long been famous (hundreds of years) for it’s travertines. Mineral waters flowing from a nearby river cascade over n expansive cliff. Thousands of years of deposits formed dozens of pools. A large city was built backing the cliff / pool area. Thousands of people inhabited the city, more in the out laying areas. Baths, bazaars, amphitheater, necropolis….
We stopped for break on the return trip. Jim napped the girls had tea and found a few things to purchase… Kathy some sweet treats and pottery, Marianne soap and water…
Back in the car we hadn't driven to far when AHHHHH, … Noooo NOOOOO !!!! The biggest snake Jim or Kathy had EVER seen was crossing the road. We hit it with both tires… it was that long. It would have easily stretched beyond one lane had it been laid straight. A look behind, it probably would not make it… It happened too fast to avoid. We seriously were saddened we had run it over. Yes, even Kathy… She has a long history of detesting snakes but… does not wish them harm… just that they be a LONG way from her presents…
When later, she took a healthy sip… it was immediately rejected! The smell was ghastly. The taste, need I say unpalatable. Closer inspection… there was no label. hmmm. Jim took a bottle to one of the locals who quickly discerned is was a local concoction of ‘mineral water’ drunk by some village people who believe it has health and healing powers… Not for these gringos. It was returned to the earth to be recycle through natural filtration processes.
Back in Fethiye we peeped the boat (food and beverages) and ourselves (dinner out, pedicures for the girls and a super short new hair style for Kathy.
Our berth mate Francisco, an american from Miami, came aboard to happy hour. He seemed versed in many topics… one which held our attention with great interest.
He had had some experience with the Schengen Agreement and did some research which may come in extremely helpful in the near future. Paraphrased: The agreement states in the first article / paragraph that EU citizens shall be allowed to visit stay any of the the EU countries without penalty… and their family (spouses!) shall be afforded the same courtesy regardless of nationally!!!! Game changer…. With Jim’s Irish passport we both qualify. The glitch is we do not have on board our marriage certificate… which might be required as proof… we shall see
A calm departure, we were off. First night in the SEPA, premier cruising grounds of Turkey. We wonder if the charter boats are required to remain within this area since it is soon polluted with bare boats? Significantly fewer outside in the less protected bays of the Mediterranean….
Marianne was determined to earn her keep, not being too much for the sailing part, she readily took to the water and made quick work of rock wrangling… getting the aft lines to shore and securing too hefty rocks. She's very graceful in the water and loves to dive from the boat. Jim, the supportive and encouraging older brother ‘scored’ her dives and back flips giving pointers technique and ways to improve her form. When questioned he quietly admitted to Kathy that he had never actually done back flips… but had watch numerous Olympics and picked up a few things on scoring…. heheheh
We change gunk holes daily making our way north and west. The goal Marmaris. Turtles often kept the swimmers company while cooling off in the waters of the quite bays.
We met fellow north americans from British Columbia, Canada. We shared drinks and stories… They will continue on for another season in the Med then cross the pond to the Caribbean the following winter.
Canvas and sail repair: new covers for our cockpit ‘captains’ chairs
Mechanic: new mixing elbow for the engine
Chandleries everywhere in town that service the large Gullet fleet that reside here.
New chain on order…
A few hardware items replaced.
and a new Lotus Grill. German designed and engineered. We purchased a fantastic LP grill specifically for this adventurer prior to leaving the US… It worked great but took up a lot of space and dealing with propane bottles and storing them was a pain. A couple of months ago we had dinner with a German / Dutch couple that introduced us to th Lotus… charcoal grill. Portable. Safe! You and touch and hold the sides while the grill is going. Another feature is it is flames. The design uses a chamber like a charcoal chimney that is lit with safegel fuel. Is also has a small fan to circulate the heat. It comes in 3 sizes with several optional components. We would not have considered this if we had not seen it in action… Here’s hoping it meets our exceptions in the long run…
The marina also has a pool which we thoroughly enjoyed. A restaurant and cantina on site. A visiting doctor and a hair salon.
And just when we thought we were ready to go… Jim lost a cap.. not is hat his tooth cap… so a dentist was needed. He was seen within the hour. Modern facility. 20 minutes and 10 euros, he was out the door. The old cap cemented in…
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| flaming dinner... served at the table |
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| Efes... local beer |
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| Corn and chestnuts... roasting on an open fire |
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