Originally we’d planned on going to Turkey and then Egypt for Jeff’s cousin’s wedding. But due to the recent events in Egypt, the wedding was postponed and we decided to make other plans to round out our 2 week trip.
I’ve ofter thought of visiting Petra, and as events unfolded, Jordan emerged as a great alternative to Egypt. What I didn’t realize until we started our walk toward the famous Treasury was how extensive the ancient city of Petra is. We easily could have spent several more hours exploring all the wonders of this historic site.
So, to be honest, we were on the fence about visiting Ephesus thinking that it would be more Roman ruins similar to what we’d seen in Europe. Luckily, we decided we couldn’t miss this historic site – and it far exceeded any expectations we had. Ephesus was truly breathtaking – and we were fortunate to be there when there were maybe a fifth of the tourists that usually visit.
If you’re planning to visit Ephesus, you MUST also visit the Terrace House museum which was surprisingly empty and has some absolutely beautiful mosaics – definitely a treasure within Ephesus.
After spending a few days in Cappadocia, we headed west to the Aegean coast of Turkey to see Pammukale and Ephesus. We’d seen beautiful pictures of Pammukale which inspired us to drive 3 hours each way to see these naturally occurring travertine terraces. I’m sad to say that this excursion was hugely disappointing. Anyone thinking about visiting Pammukale should be aware that the water is not “on” everyday – meaning that the bright blue pools of water are empty – and of course, the water was not on when we were there. But the most unnerving part was seeing how this area has essentially been turned into an amusement park with masses of tourists roaming around and swimming in Cleopatra’s Pool with little regard to preserving this natural wonder.
Four months later and I’m finally getting around to posting the rest of our Turkey & Jordan pictures. Our hot air balloon ride over Cappadocia was one of the most memorable parts of our trip – definitely a must if you’re not afraid of heights.
Soon after arriving in Istanbul, we noticed several people drinking Ayran – a popular Turkish drink made from yogurt, water, and salt. Of course, we had to try it – especially after hearing that it goes well with Lahmacun which Jeff was on a mission to try. Lahmacun is a round, thin soft piece of dough topped with spicy sauce, minced meat, and parsley – squeeze some lemon and wrap it around some lettuce and it’s ready to eat.
Next on our list of Turkish drinks to try…Raki – a non-sweet, anise-flavored spirit which turns white when water is added. Our guide in Cappadocia told us of a Turkish saying, “if you don’t drink Raki after eating fish, the fish won’t know which animal ate it.” And in fact, when we ordered some Raki with our fish for dinner that night, our server happily brought us some on the house!
After having seen the main attractions in Istanbul, we spent our 3rd day exploring the Rumeli Fortress and then walking about 8km along the Bosphorus back to our hotel. We passed through several charming neighborhoods – deciding that on our next visit to Istanbul, we would prefer to stay in Bebek.
Rumeli Fortress
